Crumple Zones Egg Car

Materials: ★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required

Categories: Energy, Force, Motion

Alternative titles: Egg Car Safety Model

Summary

This demonstration models how crumple zones in cars protect passengers during a collision. A small car carrying an egg is rolled down a ramp and crashed. Without protection, the egg breaks, but when a sponge or other soft material is added to the front, it absorbs impact energy, protecting the egg.

Procedure

Build a simple model car from a box, toy car frame, or cardboard with space to hold an egg as the “passenger.”
Place the egg securely inside the car, making sure it won’t roll out.
Roll the car down a ramp so it crashes into a wall or solid object. Observe what happens to the egg.
Add a sponge or other cushioning material to the front of the car to represent a crumple zone.
Repeat the test, rolling the car down the ramp and observing whether the egg is protected this time.

Links

Egg Car Project - Design and Crash Test Your Car - Point Source Science:

📄 Paul South's Egg Project Page: https://crumplezoneps.weebly.com/

Variations

Try different materials for the crumple zone (foam, bubble wrap, cardboard) and compare their effectiveness.
Change the ramp height to increase speed and impact force.
Test with other fragile items like a water balloon instead of an egg.
Compare cars with crumple zones at the front, back, or sides.

Safety Precautions

Handle eggs carefully to avoid mess and slipping hazards.
Clean up any broken eggs immediately.
Ensure the ramp and crash area are stable and free of sharp objects.
Supervise students closely when rolling cars down ramps.

Questions to Consider

Why does the egg break without a crumple zone but survive when a sponge is added? (The crumple zone absorbs energy by increasing the time of impact, reducing the force on the egg.)
How is this similar to real car safety design? (Cars are designed with crumple zones to protect passengers by sacrificing the car structure to absorb energy.)
Which materials worked best as crumple zones and why? (Materials that compress slowly and absorb energy protect the egg better.)
What happens if the ramp is made steeper? (The car has more energy, so stronger crumple zones are needed to protect the egg.)