Egg Drop Project with Tiny Requirements

[kate1415]

Homework Statement

For my egg drop project, the requirements are different than anything I have seen on other forums. Basically the only rule is that it can't be bigger than 3x3x3 inches. We can use any materials except anything peanut related (allergies) and will be dropping our containers from 9 feet. We will be given the egg that day, and we will have a maximum of 10 minutes to prepare package to drop. Parachutes, wings, helium, etc. are not permitted, but 1 inch string or tab may be attacked to drop the container from.

The Attempt at a Solution

What I am thinking of doing is getting some sort of cardboard container, and making a wrap for the egg out of a foam my dad got from work. The foam will loosely fit the shape of the egg, and all leftover space in the package will be filled with the foam as well. Inside the "wrapped" foam that directly surrounds the egg, I will put a small amount of salt to spread the point of contact from one point to all over the egg. So basically, foam to cushion and salt to spread contact point. I have no idea if this will work, or if the foam will even a good enough cushion, so any other ideas that fit requirements would be helpful and appreciated :)

 

[DaveC426913]

Seems like a sound design, although I am a little dubious about the salt. Can't hurt though.

 

[berkeman]

Homework Statement

For my egg drop project, the requirements are different than anything I have seen on other forums. Basically the only rule is that it can't be bigger than 3x3x3 inches. We can use any materials except anything peanut related (allergies) and will be dropping our containers from 9 feet. We will be given the egg that day, and we will have a maximum of 10 minutes to prepare package to drop. Parachutes, wings, helium, etc. are not permitted, but 1 inch string or tab may be attacked to drop the container from.

The Attempt at a Solution

What I am thinking of doing is getting some sort of cardboard container, and making a wrap for the egg out of a foam my dad got from work. The foam will loosely fit the shape of the egg, and all leftover space in the package will be filled with the foam as well. Inside the "wrapped" foam that directly surrounds the egg, I will put a small amount of salt to spread the point of contact from one point to all over the egg. So basically, foam to cushion and salt to spread contact point. I have no idea if this will work, or if the foam will even a good enough cushion, so any other ideas that fit requirements would be helpful and appreciated :)

I was going to suggest casting it in a 3-inch diameter sphere of 3-minute epoxy... But then how could the judges know that the egg was okay? Maybe clear epoxy...?

 

[kate1415]

I was going to suggest casting it in a 3-inch diameter sphere of 3-minute epoxy... But then how could the judges know that the egg was okay? Maybe clear epoxy...?

Yeah, we have to produce the egg out of the container within 3 minutes, which I didn't think was going to be a problem but would be if I glued it in with epoxy.

 

[DaveC426913]

Does that also preclude simply painting the egg with 5 minute epoxy?

 

[kate1415]

What I ended up doing was creating a cardboard cube slightly less than 3x3x3 (just in case), and than using a swimming noodle (long thin hallow thing made of waterproof Styrofoam stuff) and lined the bottom of the cube with about 3/4 inch of the Styrofoam from the noodle. I then cut about 2 inches (don't remember exact numbers) off of the end of the noodle so I had a little mini noodle. I made the hole in the noodle bigger, leaving one end slightly smaller to support the tip. At this point I put the egg into the hole in the noodle and duck-taped it so that the noodle completely surrounded the egg tightly. I put the egg tip down into the box and cut little wedges to put in the corners for additional support, and duck-taped it shut. This not only survived the 9ft drop, it survived the 17ft extra credit drop and I got and A+!