Egg Throw.
A couple of months ago my higher physics class performed the famous egg experiment.
Could an egg be thrown at something without breaking?
Our physics tells us that to bring something to a stop its momentum must be reduced to zero.
Now there are 2 possibilities:
- The egg`s momentum could be reduced to zero over a very short time resulting in the need for a LARGE force to be applied to the egg.
- Or. The egg`s momentum could be reduced to zero over a longer time resulting in the need for a smaller force to be applied to the egg.
In our movie we throw the egg at a bed sheet and at a solid wooden board.
In both cases the size of the momentum is nearly the same.
So we have this equation:
impulse = change of momentum
Ft = mv – mu.
So if the egg `s momentum is brought to zero over a longish time then the force required to stop it would be small, thus the force to stop the egg wouldn`t damage it!
Could a bedsheet prove this?
You judge.
Categories: Higher Physics
8Dec
