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Re: Egg Drop Info



We do a variation on the egg drop using water balloons instead.
This lowers the cost. The mass of the filled water balloon can be
adjusted to take into account local conditions (more mass for lower
heights, less mass for higher heights).

Our highest dropping point is about 12 meters (the football
announcer's booth). The landing area is dirt, with the rocks raked out
of the way. For this contest the rules are:



1. You will be given a water balloon which you must fill to a
minimum mass of 400 grams with ordinary water. (Using the faucet
in the lab works well.)
2. You will be given 1 large sheet of newspaper and 24 inches of
cellophane tape. These may be used to protect your water balloon
in any manner you desire in the 15 minutes of design time allowed.

3. Competition will happen in three rounds:
a. Qualifier: from the first flight of stairs in the football stands (about
4 meters).
b. Eliminator: from the top flight of stairs in the football stands (about
8 meters).
c. SuperEliminator: from the top of the announcer stand (about 12
meters).

With the above rules students sometime construct parachutes,
"catch" nets, crash envelopes, etc.

The main idea is to have phun with physics.

If you use eggs be sure to supply your own source of eggs. One of
our local ladies raises chickens. When her son was in the egg
contest she fed the chickens a high calcium diet. Wow, were those
eggs tough.



< I know that several have done egg drops as part of physics
< contests/olympiads/etc. We run a 2 week workshop for 8th & 9th
graders
< each summer, and this summer I want to do an egg drop as an
activity. If
< someone has the info necessary for this activity (requirements,
< restrictions, construction materials, etc.) or can direct me
< to a source I would appreciate it very much - no need to reinvent
the wheel!
< James Mackey
<


Best Wishes,

Mike Wilson
mwilson@colosys.net
Math/Science
West Grand HS
Kremmling, Colorado