1. The Science Behind the Egg Drop Competition
Based on Egg Drop Guidelines
2016
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

2. Engineering Design Process – Step 1 – ASK
Problem: Create a package that will protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped.
Engineering Design Process – Step 1 – ASK
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

3. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
Problem: Create a package that will protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped.
Criteria:
Building Materials:
Whatever you want - Must use at least 4 different materials
However: No glass or metal may be used
Cargo: Must hold one, raw, large, Grade A egg
External attachments:
May be used, for example: parachute
However: Will be wrapped/folded around the egg container during measurement and is considered part of the 20cm limit
Loading and Unloading
Must be inserted and removed easily
Because: Time constraint of 2 minutes
Height of Drop: feet
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

4. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
Problem: Create a package that will protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped.
Constraints:
Dimensions: Container cannot measure more than 20cm on any side
Mass: No more than 1 kg total (to include any attachments)
Building Materials:
Must use at least 4 different materials
However: No glass or metal may be used
External attachments:
Will be wrapped/folded around the egg container during measurement
Loading and Unloading
Time constraint of 2 minutes
Students must load egg without assistance
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

5. The Science Behind the Egg Drop Competition
Research Time!
Connecting Science and Engineering Design
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

6. Newton’s Laws of Motion The Law of Inertia
An object in motion will remain in motion unless an external force acts upon it
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

7. So what does that have to do with the Egg Drop Challenge?
Your Egg Drop container will stop when it comes in contact with an object …like the ground!
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

8. You might remember that a force is a push or pull upon an object.
You might ask, “So what?”
The answer is force.
You might remember that a force is a push or pull upon an object.
This results from interactions between objects.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

9. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
What can an engineer do?
There are several major forces that can be applied to the Egg Drop Challenge.
By understanding the major forces, you can better design an egg drop container that protects the egg when it lands.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

10. The Science Behind the Egg Drop Competition
Force #1
Gravity
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

11. What is gravity? To fully understand, watch this video.
Now take a hammer and a feather and carefully drop them from the same height.
What happens to the objects?
Is it the same result as on the moon? Why or why not?
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

12. Gravity The egg will fall when dropped from a height.
Gravity is the force that pulls an object toward the earth
The egg will fall when dropped from a height.
How fast it falls and how hard it comes in contact with the ground depends on many factors.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

13. The Science Behind the Egg Drop Competition
Force #2
Impact
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

14. Impact
Impact is the high force (or shock) applied over a short period of time when 2 or more objects collide.
Impact happens when the
egg drop container comes in contact with ground.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

15. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
You might ask, “So what?”
Impact is a recipe for egg disaster if the egg drop container is not designed properly.
SPLAT!!!
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

16. The Science Behind the Egg Drop Competition
Force #3
Drag
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

17. Drag
Often called “Air Resistance”
Drag is when forces are acting in the opposite direction of the motion of the object.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

18. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
Drag
A feather and a coin will fall with equal acceleration in a vacuum, but unequally in the presence of air.
Air molecules cause a frictional force that opposes the motion of the falling object.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

19. Ball up one piece of paper. Keep the other sheet flat.
To understand drag…
Take out two identical pieces of paper.
Ball up one piece of paper. Keep the other sheet flat.
Hold both the flat sheet and the balled up sheet in front of you.
Drop both from the same height at the same time.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

20. To understand drag… Both pieces of paper had the identical mass.
Which sheet of paper hit the ground sooner?
Why?
What was different?
How did the difference affect the paper’s free fall?
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

21. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
And so…
To avoid
SPLAT!!!
We need to find a way to change how the egg falls.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

22. Changing how the egg falls…
Any ideas?
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

23. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

24. Speed Velocity Speed describes how fast an object is moving.
Velocity is speed with a specified direction.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

25. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
How do you decrease the speed?
Answer:
Design an egg drop container that has increased air resistance.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

26. How do you increase air resistance?
Answer:
Increase the surface area on the egg drop container.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

27. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
How do you increase the time?
Answer:
Design an egg drop container that has something to absorb some of the force of impact.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

28. How do you design a container to absorb the force of impact?
Answer:
Reduce primary impact (outside of container)
Energy absorbing bumpers and crumple zones
increase the time over which the object is brought to rest
thus absorbing some of the force of impact
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

29. How do you design a container to absorb the force of impact?
Answer:
Reduce secondary impact (inside of container)
Energy absorbing airbags and padding
increase the time over which the object is brought to rest
thus absorbing some of the force of impact
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

30. From Research to Plan Engineering Design Process – Step 2 – Imagine
Now use what you have learned to start thinking about materials that might help you increase air resistance and decrease the force of impact.
Engineering Design Process – Step 3 – Plan
Then use your Engineering Design Packet to start designing your egg drop container.
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School

31. Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School
Resources
Images:
Videos:
Information:
Robin Guenther, Elementary STEM Teacher, Celebration School