Egg drop
Fun experiment with eggs and glasses of water
And now for a fun experiment that you'll want to repeat over and over again!
Safety precautions
None.
Equipment
- cardboard cylinders;
- eggs;
- 2 glasses of water;
- sheet of cardboard (20x20 cm)(8x8 inches).
Step-by-step instructions
Set a cardboard sheet (20x20 cm) on top of two glasses of water. Arrange two cardboard cylinders on the sheet of cardboard so that they are precisely aligned with the glasses. Balance an egg on top of each cardboard cylinder. Knock the sheet of cardboard horizontally away in one swift motion. Observe as the eggs fall neatly into the glasses of water!
Process description
When the cardboard is knocked away, the cylinders are hit from below. They spin and fall. Their trajectory is not horizontal, and not parallel to the eggs resting on them. This specific trajectory allows the cylinders’ motion to practically not affect their respective eggs; rather, they simply quickly spin and collapse out from under them. The eggs are left without support, and as the only significant force acting on them is gravity, they fall vertically down – directly into the glasses.
