The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Life Sciences
  3. Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution
  4. Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?

  • 14 Replies
  • 11771 Views
  • 0 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« on: 10/01/2009 11:12:13 »
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight? [:-\] [:-\]


What do you think? [8)]
Logged
 



Offline Madidus_Scientia

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1451
  • Activity:
    0%
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #1 on: 10/01/2009 20:09:02 »
When you're applying force to the ends, the force is distributed more evenly over the whole eggshell, because of the way that its kind of pointy at the ends then there's a gradual gradient outwards and back in, but if you crush it from the sides there's not enough gradient in the curve to distribute the force evenly throughout the shell. Hopefully that made sense.

Or, the ends act kind of like an archway but in 3d, very strong, the sides are curved too yes but its easy to imagine that an archway that is barely curved is going to be alot weaker than a proper archway
Logged
 

Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #2 on: 11/01/2009 02:28:10 »
Quote from: Madidus_Scientia on 10/01/2009 20:09:02
When you're applying force to the ends, the force is distributed more evenly over the whole eggshell, because of the way that its kind of pointy at the ends then there's a gradual gradient outwards and back in, but if you crush it from the sides there's not enough gradient in the curve to distribute the force evenly throughout the shell. Hopefully that made sense.
Umm... it kind of made sense


Quote from: Madidus_Scientia on 10/01/2009 20:09:02
Or, the ends act kind of like an archway but in 3d, very strong, the sides are curved too yes but its easy to imagine that an archway that is barely curved is going to be alot weaker than a proper archway
This made sense! Okay, thanks!
Does that mean that bridges with wider arches are weaker than those with narrower arches.
Say one bridge was modelled by y=-x2 and the other y=-0.5x2 would the first one be stronger than the second, assuming that they are made of the same marterials etc...?
Logged
 

Offline Madidus_Scientia

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1451
  • Activity:
    0%
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #3 on: 11/01/2009 07:42:27 »
Yep
Logged
 

lyner

  • Guest
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #4 on: 11/01/2009 23:15:05 »
There is also the issue of symmetry.
The curvature in two planes is not the same when squashing an egg on its side and the stresses are different. There is a very large curvature in the 'end to end' (North South) plane compared with smaller curvature in the 'Equatorial Plane' so the stress is not shared equally. On end, the arrangement is symmetrical and the stress is shared equally in all directions.

This more of a Physics / Technology question, really.
« Last Edit: 11/01/2009 23:17:28 by sophiecentaur »
Logged
 



Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #5 on: 11/01/2009 23:19:45 »
Quote from: sophiecentaur on 11/01/2009 23:15:05
There is also the issue of symmetry.
The curvature in two planes is not the same when squashing an egg on its side and the stresses are different. There is a very large curvature in the 'end to end' (North South) plane compared with smaller curvature in the 'Equatorial Plane' so the stress is not shared equally. On end, the arrangement is symmetrical and the stress is shared equally in all directions.
Uhm...hmm.... and what does that mean in English  [:-\] [:I]
Is it similar to what Madidus_Scientia said?

Quote from: sophiecentaur on 11/01/2009 23:15:05
This more of a Physics / Technology question, really.
Opps... [:I] [:I]
« Last Edit: 12/01/2009 04:02:06 by Chemistry4me »
Logged
 

lyner

  • Guest
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #6 on: 12/01/2009 10:35:17 »
What I'm saying is that the symmetry when you push against the end means that the forces are shared equally around the egg, making it stronger than then you push the side, when the stresses are concentrated into one part of the shell.
« Last Edit: 12/01/2009 10:36:52 by sophiecentaur »
Logged
 

Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #7 on: 12/01/2009 10:44:05 »
Pressure= force/area right? [:-\] So say I pushed with a force of 10 N and the egg on its side had an area of 0.0002 m2 so the pressure = 10/0.0002 = 50000 Pa. And if I did the same with the egg on its tip, with an area of 0.0001 then wouldn't the pressure be 100000 Pa? Is that right? Or does the egg have a smaller surface area on its side than at the tips? [:-\]
Logged
 

lyner

  • Guest
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #8 on: 12/01/2009 18:27:55 »
It's not just the 'pressure' that counts. The forces are there, all over the surface - transmitted almost sideways / parallel to the shell around the curves. There will always be a finite distortion as you push against anything - even a 'rigid' egg. The effect of this movement will be to change the forces acting around the surface and can produce high stress areas - particularly when they are not applied symmetrically.

Alternatively, think of a wide (nearly flat) arch and a narrow arch; which one would be stronger? The wide (large radius) arch would fail first. Pushing the side of the egg exposes the very widest arch to a force 'into it'. It will break first.
« Last Edit: 12/01/2009 19:26:02 by sophiecentaur »
Logged
 



Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #9 on: 12/01/2009 22:55:31 »
Okay, thank you everybody!
Logged
 

Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #10 on: 17/01/2009 08:21:02 »
Does that mean that if the bottom of your foot is more arched, there will be more support/strength compared to if the sole of your foot was less archy?
Logged
 

lyner

  • Guest
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #11 on: 17/01/2009 10:18:25 »
Yes  - all things being equal. People with 'flat feet' get more tired when walking than people, like me, with an embarrassingly high arch.
embarrassing because it has repercussions on my toes. Can't win em all.
Logged
 

Offline Chemistry4me (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7705
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #12 on: 17/01/2009 10:21:44 »
Ah, well, that is interesting, thank you for clearing that one up sophiecentaur [:)]
Logged
 



Offline Make it Lady

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 4050
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Hands-on fun for everyone!
    • View Profile
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #13 on: 17/01/2009 17:07:19 »
Oblate spheroid, that is the shape of an egg, in case you were wondering. What I'd really like to know is how a chicken knows what size your egg cup is?
Logged
Give a man a fire and he is warm for a day, set a man on fire and he is warm for the rest of his life.
 

lyner

  • Guest
Why are raw eggs easier to crush on their side compared to standing up straight?
« Reply #14 on: 17/01/2009 17:20:50 »
I thought it was prolate.
Isn't 'oblate' the word for the shape of the Earth?
Logged
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags:
 

Similar topics (5)

QotW - 13.04.25 - Why do some people "get out of bed on the wrong side"?

Started by thedocBoard Question of the Week

Replies: 1
Views: 5276
Last post 29/04/2013 13:20:07
by thedoc
Why do some eggs contain two yolks? What causes double yolks?

Started by chrisBoard Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution

Replies: 5
Views: 5937
Last post 23/01/2012 16:48:53
by chris
Why do some snakes give birth to live young and other snakes lay eggs?

Started by neilepBoard Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution

Replies: 5
Views: 53553
Last post 24/08/2017 07:50:37
by chris
How long can fresh water turtle eggs survive under water?

Started by ATremorBoard Marine Science

Replies: 2
Views: 31833
Last post 25/09/2010 02:57:08
by ATremor
How long are dog years compared to human years?

Started by paul.frBoard Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution

Replies: 8
Views: 8219
Last post 13/05/2008 07:47:55
by TheHerbaholic
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.131 seconds with 67 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.