Humpty Dumpty Science

Physics- Force | 30-40 minutes

In this experiment, students will explore the safest way for Humpty Dumpty to fall off of the wall. They will use different materials to try and cushion his fall.

Materials Needed

Per Group: (recommend no more than 6 students per group)

• Seven hard-boiled eggs  

• 1-3 Sharpie marker

• Six zip-top sandwich bags

• At least 6 different materials to pack into bags with Humpty Dumpty.  Examples include foam padding, bubble wrap, feathers, leaves, shredded paper, beans, crumpled paper, marbles, etc.

• 6 printouts to log results (one per student)

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Steps:

1. Give each group six eggs and six zip-top bags.

2. Have the groups give each egg a good Humpty Dumpty face with the marker.

3. Have each group select a material to test.

4. Place one egg (Humpty Dumpty) into a bag, padded by the selected material.

5. Make a prediction- will Humpty Dumpty survive a fall from a table using the selected material?  Log your prediction on the worksheet. (Draw a happy face if you think Humpty will survive, and draw a sad face if you think he will crack.)

6. Drop Humpty from the table.  Observe what happens and note the results on the worksheet.

7. Choose another material and follow steps 4 through 6.  Continue until each egg has been tested.

8. Look at the results.  Note which materials provided the padding necessary to keep Humpty Dumpty safe.

Explanation:

When your egg falls, it is falling faster and faster the closer it gets to the ground. That is called acceleration. By the time the egg hits the ground, it is going so fast that it cracks. So how do you stop it from cracking? You slow it down! When you add something between the egg and the floor, that little bit of padding is sometimes enough to slow down the egg enough to not break. Some materials work better than others.

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Try it!

Reusing the materials that worked, and the materials that failed, fill a bag with ANY combination to stop your final egg from cracking.

Real World:

Anytime somebody buys something fragile, it comes wrapped in some sort of packaging. Sometimes it’s plastic air cushions, sometimes it’s foam peanuts, sometimes it’s just paper. The materials that surround the object act just like the materials protecting Humpty. They slow down how fast the object falls, hits the side of the box, etc.