Launching dozens of eggs from the top of a ladder truck could result in scrambled eggs – or a lesson in physics. The latter was the case at Bridgeport Middle School Monday when Jan Grisso’s eighth grade science students held their annual egg drop.

 

Members of Bridgeport Fire Department obliged in dropping each student-engineered package from the top of the 100-foot ladder.

 

The challenge of the project, of course, was to design a package in which the egg would survive the 10-story fall.

 

“Most of us tried to protect the egg with bubble wrap and boxes, but some used balloons to try to slow the air and the fall of the egg,” said Eris Werseler, student.

 

The project was a required one and students worked in groups. Werseler’s group placed their egg into a small container and surrounded and topped it with cotton balls. They then wrapped the container in bubble wrap and additional cotton balls. Werseler wasn’t sure if the egg had survived the drop, but since there were no obvious leaks, it was looking good.

 

“We’ll find out tomorrow which eggs didn’t break,” she said.

 

Hannah Randolph already knows her egg didn’t survive. She stood holding her intricate design, crafted of drinking straws and tape, but the egg inside was no longer there.

 

 Megan Hutcheson’s group took an elaborate approach to the challenge.

 

“We took a pool noodle, but it in half, then cut it in half again and wrapped it around,” she said. “Then we used a layer of duct tape, a layer of newspaper, peanut butter, more duct tape, bubble wrap and placed the egg inside.”

 

Anna Schepis simply placed her egg inside some craft foam and so far, it seemed to be successful.

 

Zane Byard said his design didn’t work.

 

“We used PVC piping and the egg was supposed to slide under the cushioning,” he said. “We used weights to pull the egg in one direction, but it stuck to the top and didn’t go into the cushioning. There wasn’t enough cushioning where the weights were.”

 

But Byard learned what he would do differently next time and as far as Grisso is concerned, that is a victory in itself.