Lesson 3: Egg Drop Challenge

Design → Test → Revise

The Egg Drop Challenge

In this hands-on activity, you’ll use the engineering design process to solve a classic physics problem: How can you protect a falling egg from cracking?

Using basic materials, you’ll design, build, test, and improve a device that absorbs the shock of impact when an egg is dropped from a height.

This challenge is not just about creativity — it's about applying what you’ve learned about forces, impact, and design iteration to a real-world problem.

Egg Drop Impact-Absorption Challenge

Your mission is to protect an egg dropped from a height using only the materials provided.

  • You may use straws, paper, tape, rubber bands, cotton, or similar supplies.
  • The egg must be loaded into the device before the drop — no last-second catching or padding.
  • The goal is to keep the egg uncracked after the first drop. If it cracks, revise your design and try again.

Example: Egg Drop Challenge

Let’s say you need to protect a raw egg from a 2-meter drop using only paper and tape. Here's how you'd apply the design process:

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