Hooked on Science: Amazing egg drop

Materials

• Tall, transparent drinking glass
• Water
• Eggs
• Pie pan
• Toilet-paper tube

Instructions

STEP 1: Fill the drinking glass three-fourths of the way with water.

STEP 2: Place the pie pan on top of the drinking glass. Make sure the pie pan is in the center of the drinking glass.

STEP 3: Stand the toilet paper tube in the center of the pie pan.

STEP 4: Place the egg on the toilet paper tube.

STEP 5: Gently hit the pie pan so the pie pan and toilet paper tube fly out of the way, and observe. What happened? Why?

STEP 6: Place the pie pan on top of the drinking glass with water. Make sure the pie pan is in the center of the glass.

STEP 7: Stand the toilet paper tube in the center of the pie pan.

STEP 8: Place another egg on the toilet paper tube.

STEP 9: Hit the pie pan with a greater force, so the pie pan and toilet paper tube fly out of the way, and observe. What happened? Why?

Explanation

When hit with enough force, the egg will fall into the glass with water. As the pie pan and toilet-paper tube fly in one direction, the egg resists the change, and gravity pulls the egg into the drinking glass.