Testing the Strength of Egg Shells


Why hens don’t break the eggs they sit on!

The secret to hens being able to sit on their eggs without cracking them has to do with their dome-shaped ends.  A dome is a three-dimensional arch, which is one of the strongest architectural forms.

Eggs have a dome shape on each end. One end is more pointed than the other.

In the video, raw eggs are walked on without breaking them. No tricks are being used. But the person does have to apply an even pressure on the eggs. In other words, setting the foot down as flat as possible on the eggs.

What effect do egg cartons have on supporting the eggs in the video? To find out why and how egg cartons were first used, see the History Of Egg Cartons.

In any structure there are always two types of forces at work–compression and tension. When designing and building structures, architects and engineers must consider these two forces.   Tension vs. Compression

Compression and Tension are two forces that much be considered when designing a structure.The diagrams to the right show two easy ways to demonstrate the difference in the direction of compression forces and tension forces.

Here is another EGG-speriment!
How Many Books will Egg Shells Support?


Exciting Engineering Ideas, projects, and activities for schools, science fairs, and just plain fun!


Did You Know?

Thomas Edison tried to hatch goose eggs by sitting on them?

For more information about Thomas Edison, see Thomas Edison Index.


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