Constructing an Egg Drop Contraption

[voutetesbelle]

In my Honors Physics class we were assigned to construct a egg drop contraption solely out of tape, popsicle sticks, and paper. The first time I constructed it I made a paper parachute and attached a paper cone to the parachute (to hold the egg). Unfortunately, the egg broke upon impact. Any ideas (note that all of the materials don't have to be used)?

 

[rshalloo]

You could try building a cube frame out of popsicle sticks and suspend the egg in the centre that way the frame might be able to absorb some of the impact and because the egg is suspended by the tape, the tape will absorb some of the impact too

 

[voutetesbelle]

Thanks, we have to drop from about 3 stories high.

 

[the-ever-kid]

Your Parachute idea was good ...how big was it anyway...Btw what kind of paper are you supposed to use ?...

 

[voutetesbelle]

We are only allowed to you printer paper/lined paper. I first constructed a small parachute out of 3/4 of a piece of paper (worked perfectly, but the contraption tilted as it went down) and my second parachute was the size of a round table (rather big). Unfortunately, the paper restrictions led to a heavy parachute, thus it did not work properly.

 

[the-ever-kid]

you prof said lined paper right?.... like from a notebook?....

 

[the-ever-kid]

Btw could you click a pic...

 

[the-ever-kid]

Btw you said your first one tilted Hmmm....you had a cone right...you should probably make a small container the size of the egg out of popsicle sticks ,top-open, bottom-closed...to prevent it from tilting make it more pyramidal like the mayan pyramids...crush some paper and lay it under the egg as a cushion shred some paper and make another layer...cover open box with paper above...and make the parachute some what in between the two you said

 

[the-ever-kid]

you are attaching the parachute with tape threads right... like twisting the tape into thread?

 

[voutetesbelle]

We can either use notebook paper or printer paper. And yes, I twisted the tape to fashion threads. Here is a model of what I constructed: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/222/eggdropbm1.png/

 

[the-ever-kid]

the base of what you have is to narrow it woud not survive the landing...and there is no cushioning

 

[voutetesbelle]

Do you think that it would work to make a popsicle box and cushion it on the inside?

 

[the-ever-kid]

you should make 1.the parachute 2.A Popsicle box (broad base) and 3.cushioning

 

[voutetesbelle]

Wouldn't the popsicle box weigh down the parachute?

 

[the-ever-kid]

yeah it would that is why you have to make a parachute big enough not way big but enough...an egg breaks not because of the speed of the fall but because of its inablity to withstand the shock... so padding...

 

[the-ever-kid]

and also increase the size ratio of the parachute to the box...