Praxis: Walking on eggs
By Medicine Hat News on October 13, 2018.
If you are reading this column, once you are finished, I hope that you will join us for our 27th annual Family Science Olympics at Medicine Hat College today! It is going to be a great day full of hands-on science experiments that you will not want to miss. This week, I thought I would share one of my favourite activities from a past Family Science Olympics. Let’s get started! Materials two science helpers plastic tarp a few dozen eggs in the carton (depends on how good you are) Procedure 1. If you are doing this inside, spread out the plastic tarp on a large, hard, flat surface. 2. Take two dozen eggs. 3. Check the eggs to ensure there are not any broken or cracked ones. I do not want to set you up for failure before you even begin. 4. Ensure all the eggs are sitting the same in the carton. By this I meant that one side of the egg is a bit pointier than the other. Make sure all of the “pointy” ends are facing up or ensure all of the more “round ends” are facing up. It is important they are all in the same direction. 5. Place the open egg cartons side by side in the middle of the plastic tarp. 6. Remove your shoes and socks. 7. Have one science helper stand beside one dozen eggs and have the other helper stand by the other dozen eggs. You want them to be able to help you up onto the eggs. 8. Making your foot as flat as possible, and holding onto the science helpers on each side of you; carefully step up onto the eggs with one foot. Do not be scared. 9. When your foot is properly positioned, slowly shift all of your weight onto the egg-leg as you position your other foot on top of the second carton of eggs. Step down. 10. What happened? What is going on? Please do not give up. It is possible! You should be able to stand on the eggs without breaking a single one! Eggs are truly amazing. Their unique shape is the secret to this experiment. Despite seeming so fragile (I know I break a few eggs every time I come home from the grocery store) they have tremendous strength. An egg is the strongest at the top and the bottom due to their “arch shape.” If you apply pressure equally to both ends of the egg, it will not break because this shape helps distribute the pressure evenly all over the shell rather than in just one place. This is also why chickens can sit on their eggs and hatch them without breaking them. The 27th annual Praxis Family Science Olympics will be held at Medicine Hat College today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Please bring your entire family for this great free hands-on science day. There will be something for everyone. Patty Rooks is senior scientific consultant at PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. 21-20
