Don't Scramble Your Egg!

E3   Egg Drop Competition 2022

“Don’t Scramble Your Egg” Launch

It is our hope that all teams registered for E³ will practice working together, planning, designing, testing, redesigning, and reflecting before they reach competition day! So, “Don’t Scramble Your Eggs” is the perfect way to accomplish this goal.

The 2022  E³ Egg Drop Competition provides a new approach with a little twist to the challenge. Each team should design and construct an innovative egg drop contraption at their base school. The design should keep an egg safe when launched through the air by a slingshot. While all teams are expected to design and construct an egg drop contraption, only ONE contraption per school may be submitted. Since each participating school may submit only ONE device, consider holding a practice Egg Drop Competition with all team members to identify the ONE  best design that keeps an egg from getting “scrambled.”

Activity Instructions

Each participating school may submit only ONE *device designed to protect an egg from breaking when “launched” by a slingshot.

Materials: 

Students are allowed to use ANY materials they wish for their design, but they must follow the criteria below. 

Procedure

Phase 1: The Design

• Design an apparatus that keeps a raw egg from cracking or breaking when flying through the air approximately 40 feet and landing on the parking lot ground.  

• The apparatus design must allow for loading a fresh raw egg at the time of competition.  It cannot come pre-loaded with an egg. (Weight will be a factor so choose your materials wisely.) 

• The apparatus MUST be clearly labeled with the school name, PRIOR to arriving at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center (SCISC).  

• The apparatus will be weighed before the egg is put in and the successful apparatus that is also the lightest will win.  

• The attached Honesty Pledge is provided and must be printed and completed PRIOR to arriving at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center and will be turned in at the same time you turn in your apparatus at the Egg Drop Check-In Table right beside registration. 

Specifications:

• The entire apparatus must be NO larger than a 10-inch cube,  but remember the lightest weight will also win so choose your size and materials wisely.  

• A raw egg will be placed in the apparatus when you arrive on competition day. You are not allowed to tape the egg in any way.  Make sure the egg will stay secure once it is placed inside. 

***The apparatus design must allow a fresh, raw egg to be inserted and removed (after the drop) on the day of the competition. 

Phase 2: Testing

Creating a dependable apparatus takes much trial and error. It is highly doubtful you will succeed in the design, on the first try. Apparatuses will most likely have to be modified or redesigned between trials. 

Keep in mind, each trial may damage the apparatus. Be prepared to repair or recreate the apparatus between trials if necessary. No construction or repairs will be done on competition day.  

Phase 3: Actual E3 Egg Drop Competition at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center

*Devices MUST meet the criteria presented above. 

One raw egg will be provided by E3 facilitators for each school on the day of the competition.  You will turn in your Honesty Pledge and device with your school name clearly labeled when you turn in your apparatus as soon as you arrive for competition day. 

E3 facilitators will put a raw egg in each contraption upon submission for the competition. 

Hints: 

• Use strong materials

• Use simplified apparatuses

• Don’t overcomplicate the design

• In the case of a TIE, the group that has the least amount of mass will win. 

Expected Outcome:

The most ideal outcome is that students will collaborate to plan, design, test, redesign, and create a protective device in which a raw egg will not crack or break when flying through the air and landing on the ground below.