It took me three to four hours at Wednesday night to make the twenty inches by twenty inches by twenty inches Styrofoam board container my team had decided. I even took two more hours on Thursday morning to add feet to the box so the bottom of the box can bend down to lessen the force. However, after I brought the box to the classroom, my team cut the feet off and cut square holes on all five sides of the box to lessen the weight. They put a stretchable bag on top of the box so cotton balls do not spread out. Even though we have the highest dropping point and success rate of three out of three, we only got to the second place. Yes, I would like to be in the first place but our box is just too heavy. If there is another egg dropping contest with the same rules next time, I will prepare for it in certain ways.
First, reduce the weight of the container to the lightest. Our container on this competition is just way too heavy. Yes, I e-mailed everyone before I made the box on Tuesday night about the dimensions of the box but no one changed the plan so the box is 20X20X20. After the modification on Thursday afternoon, the sack stabled to the box to contain the egg is less than half of the box volume.
Second, find out how high the maximum height is going to be. I think our container can take another 5 feet of the highest point we had. But we can’t get higher than the bleachers. If we did not go to the bleachers and do the contest in the place the teacher would like, our score is even less. So find the maximum height next time.
Third, make sure the cushion is just enough. Our container is also the tallest of all. This factor is of less concern for me during this competition but may be a factor in the other competition. I feel my team did a great job in this consideraion for our container.
Besides being better next time, I also feel: in a competition, some people have to loose, it is better to be a good sports about it even we lost.
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