Egg Drops with VIII White

Dean Kripalani
by Dean Kripalani

The boys in VIII White were asked to design and construct a device that would prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from the window of the fifth floor science lab onto the playdeck (two and a half stories below). Some of the materials they were restricted to using included cardboard, elastic bands, plastic bags, cotton pads, Q-tips, and balloons. (I did notice contraband on at least one project—what looked like chocolate pudding. When I inquired I was told it was in fact frosting.) The boys certainly tapped into their creative side for the project. Their contraptions came in all shapes and sizes.
 
After a couple of weeks of designing, constructing, and testing, D-Day arrived on November 17. The boys assembled on the deck in anticipation of watching their creations be released from above. Thanks to the maintenance department the deck was splatter-proofed with plastic. Mr. Pringle was tasked with dropping the protective devices from the lab. (“Gently!” the boys implored.) Impressively some projects floated down like a feather, while others landed with a loud thump, but the majority of the eggs survived the fall. It was an egg-citing (sorry) lesson planned by Mr. Parsons with the eighth graders clearly enjoying themselves while at the same time learning to apply concepts of momentum, impulse, force, energy, and gravity. Scrambled eggs, anyone?
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