Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My 6th grader has to do a Planetary Lander (egg drop). Oh but you can not use:
parachute or catching device; shoebox, packing crate,milk carton or other commercially constructed container; pillow filling, styrofoam,florist foam, starch pellets or helium filled ballons, nerf anything, packing peanuts or bubblewrap; adhesive tapes of any kind;no food products other that the egg
Must weigh .5 -2.2 lbs pre egg & be no larger than 12"x12"x12"
Suggestions? Tips? HELP?

Sounds like fun! What about elastics (rubber bands)? Springs? Or even opposing air current generated by a small battery operated fan (this might be very hard to execute but interesting!)?

In general you are looking for ways to absorb the shock of the imact with the ground. Think about other things that absorb shock in things you use everyday (your car, your cell phone case, your shoes, etc).

Good luck!

Audrey

How many feet is the drop from?

Moving companies use newsprint paper to pack dishes, crystal stem ware, etc for shipment. Their packers are trained in how to crumple, fold, roll, the paper to protect dishes. They get their paper before it is printed so their hands and what they pack won't get dirty with ink, but a printed newspapers will do the same thing if you don't care about getting things dirty from the ink. Movers pack inside a cardboard container which acts as a form to hold the crumpled paper and packed objects in place. Essentially an outer shell.

Given that you can't use tape or a cardboard box, you probably need to ask about whether you can use paper, glue, string, thread, cloth, clothes, plastic bag, etc so that you can form a shell.