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16h ago

MIT Study Reveals Eggs Are Less Likely to Crack When Dropped on Their Side

Research overturns long-held beliefs about egg strength, showing horizontal drops absorb more energy and crack less often than vertical ones.

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Eva Johnston, 3, marvels as Alyssa Crow pulls her egg from its wrapping, unharmed. Crow is the manager of the south branch of the Abilene Public Library which held an Egg Drop Challenge on April 17, 2021.
FILE - A hen stands on eggs inside her coop at at a farm in Glenview, Ill., on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

Overview

  • MIT researchers conducted 180 controlled drop experiments and compression tests, finding horizontally dropped eggs cracked less than 10% of the time compared to over 50% for vertical drops.
  • The study, published in *Communications Physics*, challenges the common misconception that eggs are strongest on their ends due to their arch-like shape.
  • Dynamic impact testing revealed the egg’s equator is more flexible, allowing it to absorb more energy before cracking, unlike static compression tests where orientation made no difference.
  • Findings suggest practical applications, including reducing stray cracks during hard-boiling and informing the design of thin-shell structures in engineering.
  • Uncertainty remains about whether the results apply to high-altitude egg drop challenges, a popular STEM activity that partially inspired the research.