Egg-cellent Landing

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Learners recreate the classic egg-drop experiment with an analogy to the Mars rover landing. The concept of terminal velocity will be introduced, and learners perform several velocity calculations. Also, learners design and build their lander within a pre-determined budget to help reinforce a real-world design scenario. Materials list can be expanded to include a great variety of items as desired.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 11 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Eggs, one per group
  • Zip-Lock™ (or other "zipper" brand) sandwich bags, one per group
  • Styrofoam or plastic cups
  • Low-density foam (available at most fabric stores)
  • Pack of balloons
  • Tape (masking or transparent)
  • Egg-cellent Lander Order Form, one per group

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Astronomy
      • Probes, Satellites and Spacecraft
    • Earth Structure
      • Atmosphere
    • Solar System
      • The Planets
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Aerospace Engineering
      • Manufacturing Engineering
  • Mathematics
    • Measurement
      • Rate
  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravity
      • Momentum and Velocity
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Research and Development
      • Invention and Innovation
      • Problem Solving
      • Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Yakacki, Chris ; Hill, Geoffrey ; Kotys-Schwartz, Daria ; Schaefer Zarske, Malinda ; Yowell, Janet

Source Collection

  • TeachEngineering

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Regents of the University of Colorado, 2004

Funding Sources:

  • National Science Foundation, 0226322
  • Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
  • U.S. Department of Education