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Egg chemicals

Randall_FlaggRandall_Flagg Registered User regular
edited March 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
So you know those egg drop contests where you have to create a device which stops a dropped egg from breaking? Well, I'm involved in one of those and I was wodering if anybody knew of any sort of chemical that could strengthen an egg's shell. I have one sitting in milk right now (for the calcium) but I doubtThat that will have any noticable effect. Thanks

Randall_Flagg on

Posts

  • redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    are you aloud to modify the egg based in the competition rules?

    if so... I'd recommend soaking in vinegar of several hours.

    now... the shell... it is not going to be stronger.

    in fact the shell is going to end up in solution in the vinegar. But the albumen will end up denatured making it rubbery.

    Chanes are you could just drop that off the roof, and it won't break.

    It'll just bounce.

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
  • Mad JazzMad Jazz gotta go fast AustinRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I absolutely owned one of those competitions in my high school physics class with a few plastic bags, some string, a bit of hot glue, and a bunch of water. Basically, get yourself set up so that the egg is in the center of a big (like, gallon plus size) bag of water and let 'er fly. My ten minute contraption kept the egg alive after a flight off the football stadium (think 4 stories or so).

    Mad Jazz on
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  • SamyazaSamyaza Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Paper. Fucking. Cone. No, seriously, with a little luck the cone crumples and absorbs all shock, and iff there are points deducted for weight, it's perfect.

    Samyaza on
  • TrippyDKTrippyDK Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    The paper cone only works for one drop though. I dont know if the OP will have a chance to rebuild if he has to drop it from multiples places.

    TrippyDK on
  • SamyazaSamyaza Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Excellent point. Perhaps a cone made of evazote craft foam, or a sheet of rubber would be more suitable for multiple drops. I also have no idea if that'd work.

    Samyaza on
  • Kewop DecamKewop Decam Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    couldn't you make like a trampoline out of that cheap material peopl put on their beds to make it soft? I'm not sure what it's called, but the material is basically foam and is usually a yellowish/tan color. If you dropped the egg on this it would bounce, so you'd have to have like plastic walls so it couldn't bounce out.

    Kewop Decam on
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  • redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    this stuff?

    eggcrate.jpg

    I shit you not, it is know as 'egg crate' foam.

    rather than making a thing you would have to hit, you could just wrap it around the egg.

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
  • Brodo FagginsBrodo Faggins Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I did this back in the fourth grade. Wrap it in cloth, any kind will do, and then stuff that snugly into a tupperware container. Dropped off a 4 story building, nothing broke.

    Brodo Faggins on
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  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Read the requirements carefully.

    It may just say you need to be at x height and you need to drop it.

    If so, get a small contain type thing and alot of string. Lower it until it's half an inch off the ground. Drop it. Win.

    And before anyone says anything yes I do watch myth busters.

    It's also surprisingly easy to create a parachute out of garbage bags.

    Blake T on
  • AurinAurin Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Two pieces of solid stryofoam, cut out a space only big enough for the egg. Can drop kick that thing and the egg won't break. :P

    Aurin on
  • TrillianTrillian Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I won one of these competitions by floating the egg in molasses.

    Trillian on

    They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
  • Sir Red of the MantiSir Red of the Manti Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    redx wrote: »
    this stuff?

    eggcrate.jpg

    I shit you not, it is know as 'egg crate' foam.

    rather than making a thing you would have to hit, you could just wrap it around the egg.

    I did that once, only I threw my egg in carved out Styrofoam before wrapping it in that. Survived anything and everything that could be done to it, from light dribbling to drop kicks from the bleachers.

    Sir Red of the Manti on
  • RhinoRhino TheRhinLOL Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    So you know those egg drop contests where you have to create a device which stops a dropped egg from breaking? Well, I'm involved in one of those and I was wodering if anybody knew of any sort of chemical that could strengthen an egg's shell. I have one sitting in milk right now (for the calcium) but I doubtThat that will have any noticable effect. Thanks

    um, since you asked about making the egg stronger (and not about devices) I'll answer that.

    I don't know if this is legal in your contest, but some things that might work:

    Put many coats of [white] paint on the egg. Let coat dry, put another coat on. With enough coats of paint it should make the egg stronger and help protect the shell.

    Paste and/or Glue... same thing as paint... just keep putting coats of it on.


    Personally I would try this:

    Wrap egg a layer or two of those "medical bandages"
    Paint with 1 coat of paint (to keep bandages on)
    Wrap in a layer of that egg foam stuff (attach with glue).
    put that in a very snuggly fit stroform "box"
    paint box all up

    Make some sort of Device to carry the stroformed armored egg.

    Rhino on
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  • Al_watAl_wat Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Hardboil the egg

    Al_wat on
  • RhinoRhino TheRhinLOL Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Al_wat wrote: »
    Hardboil the egg

    Then paint it!

    Rhino on
    93mb4.jpg
  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Trillian wrote: »
    I won one of these competitions by floating the egg in molasses.

    A less messy version of this would be to put the egg in jelly/jello/whatever your country calls it.

    Blake T on
This discussion has been closed.