How can I protect an egg from cracking with limited materials?

[pandabento09]

Hey Guys,

I know that this has been posted before, but mine is slightly different.

Our instructor only provides:

5 medium rubber bands
5 sheets of 8.5 X 11 paper
20 inches of scotch tape
20 inches of string

We can only use the materials he provides us.

Can you please give me ideas for helping me constructing a protection for the egg from cracking?

 

[berkeman]

What have you learned by reading back over the old PF threads about this project?

 

[wysard]

Depends on how you have to protect the egg. Is it dropping always in the same orientation? Do you need to protect it so it can be dropped from any orientation? ie: Dropping it from 2 inches is a different solution than from 6 feet. Dropping it on its side has different constraints than dropping it if it were tumbling (either slowly or quickly)

What are the specifics of the problem you need to solve?

 

[pandabento09]

we're droping it from 3 meters.

 

[mgb_phys]

You are trying to reduce the maximum force on the egg. since F = m a, you do this by reducing the rate of deceleration, that is make the egg stop more slowly when it hits the ground.

You might want to look up "crumple zones" in cars.

 

[berkeman]

5 medium rubber bands
5 sheets of 8.5 X 11 paper
20 inches of scotch tape
20 inches of string

One thought would be to use 4 of the sheets for a parachute canopy (held open by you at release), and the other sheet for a crumple pad thing taped underneath. Wonder if that would work... (walking off to mock one up...)

 

[pervect]

A parachute could definitely help you land so that the egg stays on top of whatever you use to cushion the fall.

I imagine there are several ways to build the cushions. Looking at an egg crate from the store might give you some ideas. Think about the geometrical structures you can build with paper and tape (cylinders, cones, pyramids, whatever) and how you might use them to build something that will cushion the fall.