Students to launch eggs in the name of science

April 8, 2008

Students to launch eggs in the name of science

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - High school students from east-central Indiana will put their knowledge of science to use in the fifth annual Iron Egg Launch Design Competition on April 25 at the Purdue University College of Technology location in Anderson.

The competition, sponsored by the Purdue College of Technology at Anderson/Muncie, will take place from 9:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Anderson University Flagship Center, 2705 Enterprise Drive. In case of rain, the event will take place May 2.

In the competition, groups of four to six high school students will design and build an apparatus to launch a raw egg at a target 25 meters away. The device must include a container to hold the egg and keep it from breaking upon landing.

"This is a fun activity that gives students an opportunity to put the math, science and communications skills they've learned in high school into an educational project," said David Riegle, Purdue's Anderson/Muncie student services coordinator. "This allows them to see how scientific concepts apply to real-world situations."

Teams also must submit a written report that includes design schematics, a budget, the scientific basis for the device and other information. They are judged on a combination of launch accuracy, creativity, egg protection and quality of the written report. For the first time, students will be required to produce either a brochure or a Web page to explain how their device operates.

Participating schools are Anderson Highland High School, Anderson; Cowan High School, Muncie; Delta High School, Muncie; Noblesville High School, Noblesville; and Pendleton Heights High School, Pendleton.

This year's event is sponsored by the Anderson Federation of Teachers, Broadway Veterinary Clinic, LLC, Hoosier Park at Anderson, Independent Federal Credit Union, Perfecto Tool & Engineering Co. Inc., Robert D. Loose Funeral Home Inc. and W.R. Dunkin & Son Inc.

To learn more about the competition and how schools can get involved, contact Riegle at (765) 285-5554, riegled@purdue.edu

The College of Technology's Anderson location offers bachelor's degrees in both industrial technology and organizational leadership and supervision, and associate's degrees in computer and information technology, electrical engineering technology, mechanical engineering technology, and organizational leadership and supervision.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Source: David Riegle, (765) 285-5554, riegled@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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