Physics Experts Please Help

[hpracing007]

I have been searching the internet for many months looking for the answer to a very difficult physics problem. The problem involves finding every physics related aspect of an egg that is dropped and broken. Not one part can be missing, (Density of shell, moment of impact, ect.) So if it is not too much to ask, please help me locate this information (I have a lot of info but the teacher says I'm missing a critical formula about the egg shell). If I am the first to find it, I will have a 100 for the semester, which I deperately need.

 

[Acid X]

Hey hp.. you probably dont remember me from the gtf, but i remember you.... anyway, unto the point.

Your doing a report on an egg shell? Wtf?

*growl* :gnasher:

 

[Jordan]

Hpracing, you might want to try sending your questions to the scientists at MadSci.org. As you can see from there archives, they've answered hundreds of scientific questions sent to them with very clear and informative answers. You might want to give it a try - good luck!

 

[retsmah]

I still don't get it . That's not a problem, and it's not a question... if they asked "how fast will the egg be going when it hits the ground?" or something then I could help you . If you wanted to you could probably write sixty pages on an egg hitting the ground... it would be the most boring sixty pages of your life, but it would be there .

-retsmah

 

[Acid X]

Hehe, nice to see you here Retsmah! Glad to see people i recognize from the GTF coming here

*growl* :gnasher:

 

[hpracing007]

Thanks for the help everyone. I'm trying that website now. If anybody else has any ideas, don't hesitate to post.

 

[CrackHoor]

I'm sorry, I had all the eggshell information you needed but I forgot it when I saw retsmah's avatar... Good Lord, what is that bear doing? And why is it so disturbing and hypnotic? And why can't I stop staring at it... :bigeye:

 

[KC]

If you are looking for forces and effects onthe dropped egg, break it down into what occurs and analyze it.

1. The height the egg is dropped.
2. How is the egg handled? Is it damaged during holding?
3. Is rotation introduced to egg when dropped? Is it tumbling?
4. How is the egg effected by its inherent aerodynamics?
5. Is their any wind affecting the flight of the egg?
6. What is the hardness of the surface being struck? Does the surface have any cushioning effect?
7. Does the egg have a uniform shell density? Or does it have defects that make it weaker or stronger?
8. How was the egg oriented when dropped? Small end striking first is different than large end.
9. Is the egg protected by anything to help prevent breakage?
10. You did not specify, but is the egg cooked in its shell?
11. Is the egg allowed to freefall or is it propelled?


Assume nothing that is not stated in the original briefing. Nothing can be assumed when breaking down the engineering problem.

 

[hpracing007]

Originally posted by KC
Assume nothing that is not stated in the original briefing. Nothing can be assumed when breaking down the engineering problem.

Thanks for the advice.

The original briefing was very unspecific, I asked my professor and he just wanted to know why an egg breaks or dosen't when it hits the ground. He wanted every factor in a proof form. I can't post my process because I have spys/other students right now that are searching the internet for my paper trail.

 

[InterCooler]

Is it a chicken egg? Duck egg? Frog egg? Snake egg?

It doesn't really matter I guess. In my opinion, there are 4 parameters to consider first.

1. The material of the floor onto which the egg will be dropped on (critical)

2. The height at which the egg will be dropped from (not that critical)

3. The mass of the egg + shell

4. The strength of the egg shell

The egg breaks easily when dropped because it receives a 'point' load, ie. all impact force is transmitted to the egg through a very small area. If you put an egg on a flat surface, you can see a very small area that egg comes in contact with the flat surface.

The height of the egg gives the egg a potential energy of Ep = mgh where m=mass, g=earth's gravitational constant, and h=height. Upon impact, this energy has to be dissipated. When the egg hits a very soft surface (like mattress), the movement of the mattress absorbs the impact and protects the egg (also, there is no pinpoint load on the egg -> the load is now somewhat distributed over the much wider area!)

Therefore, at the point of impact on any hard surface, the egg will have to take up much of the energy (because the hard surface will not going to give). The egg cannot dissipate this energy by flexing its shell (it is rather brittle). Combine this with the momentum of the eggy fluid that is trying to burst out of the egg, and you have broken egg and a mess.

When we handle egg, our palm is soft and does not at any time apply a point load. However, pretend that you are wearing a glove with sharp needles. The egg will not last long. Do an experiment. When you squeeze an egg with your thumb and index finger on its long axis, it will take quite a bit of load. Now tape tacks on your thumb and index finger (pointy thing away from the skin of course) and squeeze the egg using the same pressure. Bingo!

I wish I could give more but I have to go. I hope it helped and good luck in your search!!!

 

[hpracing007]

Thanks for the post. I had pretty much what was there but it always helps to check my stuff. Oh, and it was a Chicken egg.

 

[Rice Rocketeer]

This is quite interesting...it has been a while since i actually tackling physics question....

Got an 800 on the SAT II: Physics and a "5" on the AP Exam....need i say more?

 

[retsmah]

energy doesnt really have a huge amount to do with it, no matter what surface the egg hits it will hit with the same amount of kinetic energy. A pillow does work nicer than a table becuase of the point load type stuff intercooler was talking about earlier. however, another, and maybe more important, reason it works better is because the pillow is fluffy while a table is hard. its the same reason hitting an airbag is better than hitting a steering wheel. when the egg hits the table, it has to go from some speed to no speed in a very short distance. when it hits a pillow, the pillow sorta indents around the egg, allowing it more distance to stop. this means that when the egg hits the table it has a large acceleration, while if it hits a pillow the acceleration is smaller. Force = Mass X Accleration, so the faster the egg has to stop the greater the force applied to it is. as intercooler stated, the table multiplies this problem by applying a large force to a small area, while the pillow applies a small force to a larger area. use a pillow .

-retsmah

 

[haha]

Ok, it's been over xx years since I took any physics, but I'll give this a shot. So far, at least by speed reading the posts, I haven't seen anyone mention distribution of force on the surface of an egg. From what I remember, the egg is one of those perfect shapes i.e., it distributes the applied force equally throughout the egg shell no matter where the force is applied. The reason an egg shell will break is the speed at which the force is applied. One of the tricks they used to use was putting a 50 lb weight on the egg, and it wouldn't break. But, tap it with a spoon just so, and you have scrambled egg. Just don't ask about binding energy and elasticity. Crap, I hope I got this right. Hard to believe I got straight A's through High School and College Physics(2 years of that crap) and this is the best I can remember.

 

[InterCooler]

Then the obvious parameters are accounted for. So you are still missing one factor, as your professor hinted . . . . . Could it be a Kit Kat Bar?

So now you are looking for a list of non-obvious factors . . . . . Hhhhhmmmm.

1. Whether the egg is cooked (boiled/steamed) or not

2. Whether the egg is already scrambled (you can shake a raw egg very hard with you hand and the yolk will break)

3. If you soak an egg in vinegar, the shell becomes really soft & pliable.

4. The shell is also soft and pliable when it is first laid by the chicken.

5. Is it African or European?

What came first, Chicken or the Egg? I say the Egg. It's like a 1 previous generation chicken laying a very lightly mutated chicken egg which became the 1st 'modern' chicken. So, therefore, the egg has to come first.

 

[MitsubishiLancer]

Im not into physics but i did give 2 girl volleyball players a physical in my 7th grade class... ahhhhh those were the days

 

[hpracing007]

The egg is a standard chicken egg, unboiled. I will release one bit of my research which will clear up a lot of questions about the egg.
Ultimate Strength of an egg shell: 1.1*10^6N/m^2.
I have a basic proof but it does not include enough info. I need to include such elements as: rotation, what part of the egg hits first, ect. I'm sorry I can't post my progress.

 

[Ferrari_355]

Would the color of the egg have anything to do with it? ie Brown vs. White. I can't help much since I haven't taken Physics (next year). I'll be thinking of something good.

What about outside effects on the egg, like wind, gravity, etc.?

Where's dicknose when we need him!?

 

[hpracing007]

Originally posted by Ferrari_355
Would the color of the egg have anything to do with it? ie Brown vs. White. I can't help much since I haven't taken Physics (next year). I'll be thinking of something good.

What about outside effects on the egg, like wind, gravity, etc.?

Where's dicknose when we need him!?

I don't think the color matters. Dicknose helped me a little on this at Granturismo.com but he didn't give me enough info. He gave me an excellent start by breaking the fall into different parts.