Egg Drop Competition - Using popsicle sticks vs straws

  • #1
LevelsToThis
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All the videos I've looked at uses straws, but doesn't wood absorb the impact better? Is there a way to do a hybrid wood/straw setup for maximum absorption?

Also, how is my idea?

I am going to make a bedding from yarn and make it fairly tight. Then I'm going to connect to 4 popsicle sticks, like a bed. Then when the egg hits the ground, it hits the popsicle sticks and the egg bounces on the yarn bedding. There is also rubber bands criss-crossing on the top to stop the egg from bouncing out.
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF;
You can experiment to see which is better - popsicle sticks or straws.
Part of the point of asigning egg-drops is to get you used to doing experiments to find stuff out instead of just looking online or guessing.

Some things to bear in mind: straws are bendy-er than sticks - especially if you put a slight bend in them to start with.
By length, the straws are lighter, so there will be a slower terminal velocity than if you used the same amount of wood.

The main thing to consider in protection from impacts is the deceleration rate ... the farther the cargo can move while it decelerates, the softer the effective impact and the more likely it will survive.
Car airbags work because you slow down over a longer distance when you hit them than when you hit the hard surfaces of the inside of the car.
 
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