Question:

Will a bike helmet protect a melon better than no bike helmet?

Hypothesis:

A melon with a bike helmet is less likely to break than a melon with no helmet.

Conclusion:

A bike helmet protects a melon better than no helmet when dropped from 5 feet onto concrete.

Test Location: West Town Bikes Friday, April 10, 4 p.m.

Materials Used:

1 bike helmet
2 undamaged cantalope melons
Notebook to record results
Camera

Description of bike helmet before the drop: Multi-sport black bike helmet manufactured in 2007 for Helmets R Us. The hemet was never used before the drop, and was in new condition. This helmet complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets for Persons Age 5 and Older. For use in skateboarding or trick roller skating, this helmet complies with ASTM F1492 skateboarding and skating standard. The helmet was donated for my experiment by West Town Bikes, and is a style of helmet provided to students through their bike education programs.

People:

Safety expert to help me inspect helmets and melons, and to help me properly fit helmets according to safety standards. Nick Wilson, Isidoro Topete.
Expert on health and safety for interview. Ashley Gold, Randy Swart, Isidoro Topete - see interview answers here - Interviews

Procedures:

Get a bike helmet:  Isidoro Topete provided the test helmet which was left over from one of the classes he teaches.

Buy 2 melons that would fit into the helmet:  My mom and I bought cantalopes at Cermack right before the experiment.

Inspect helmet before the drop to see that it is in new condition and not damaged, and record information: The helmet had never been used and was in new condition.

Inspect melons and record condition: Both melons were nearly the same size and weight, and were undamaged before the drop.

Adjust helmet to properly fit one melon: Isidoro Topete helped me to adjust the helmet's straps to fit the melon, and we tested it to make sure that the melon was in the helmet securely.

Drop the melon with the helmet from 5 feet onto a concrete surface: I dropped both while standing on a chair in the yard outside of West Town Bikes. The yard is made of concrete. I measured 5 feet from the ground on a pole that was behind the chair, and held the melons as high as that mark. I dropped the melon that was in the helmet with the helmet facing down.

Drop the melon without a helmet from 5 feet onto the same concrete surface

Inspect melons and helmet after the drop: I inspected the melons, and so did Isidoro Topete and my dad.

Record data and take pictures recording result: I wrote down the results in my notebook. Pictures from the experiment are here - Images

Results:

The melon that was in the multi sport helmet was undamaged after falling from 5 feet onto a concrete surface.

The melon that was not in a helmet cracked open on both sides after falling from 5 feet onto a concrete surface, and there was a puddle of melon juice and seeds where the melon had hit the concrete.

See pictures and read interviews here:

Images
Interviews