3 More Quick EggSperiments: How Strong Is That Egg? (Part 2 of 4)

EggSperiment 1: Why do eggs move the way they do?

Have the kids roll an egg around on a table. Talk about why they are shaped the way they are.

 Because eggs are a funny and oblong shape, they roll and wobble around in a certain way. Eggs wobble when they roll so they won’t go far from a mother hen and they will stay inside of a nest.  If eggs were round, they would probably roll out of nests or too far away from the mother hen.

Egg Activity #2: Why are eggs shaped the way they are?

Place an egg in the middle of your palm. Squeeze as hard as you can. Can you break it?

LD was certain he would be able to crack his egg immediately. He was shocked when he couldn’t and begged to be allowed to throw the egg on the ground instead!

The arch is one of the strongest architectural shapes and similarly, the ovoid shape gives an egg its incredible strength!

If you look at the roof of the Pantheon (in Rome) it is shaped like an egg. It has survived for more than 2,000 years. That’s because when weight is applied, no single point in the dome supports the entire weight. Instead, the object’s weight is carried down along the curved walls to the dome’s base.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Egg Activity #3: So if eggs are so strong, can you stand on them? Try it!

If you’re careful you can! But of course, if the egg breaks it’s probably because you applied greater pressure to the shell than it could bear!

Just so you know, I had to lift the kids up slightly and have them set their feet down rather than “walking” along the egg. We didn’t have enough eggs on hand to chance them all smashing before the third person had a chance. And yes, the eggs were raw not hard-boiled!

Did you miss the other posts in this series?

• Science EggSperiments: Just in time for Easter! (Part 1 of 4)
• 3 More Quick EggSperiments: How strong is that egg? (part 2 of 4)
• 4 More Science EggSperiments: (Part 3 of 4)
• Finally, it’s here!! The Free EggSperiment Pack!
• Protect Your Egg – Seatbelt Safety
• 

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