A new study published in Communications Physics has revealed that eggs are actually less likely to crack when dropped on their side compared to when dropped vertically.
This finding challenges the common belief that an egg is stronger if it lands upright, a concept often taught in classrooms during the “egg drop challenge,” where students try to prevent an egg from breaking after a fall.
Researchers, led by Tal Cohen, conducted a series of 180 drop tests to compare how eggs break when dropped from different heights—8, 9, and 10 millimeters—onto a hard surface.
The team dropped 60 eggs for each height, both vertically and horizontally.
Surprisingly, they found that eggs dropped vertically were far more likely to crack, even from the lowest height of 8 millimeters.
Over half of the eggs dropped vertically shattered, regardless of which end faced downward. In contrast, less than 10% of the eggs dropped horizontally broke from the same height.
To understand why, the researchers performed additional compression tests on 60 more eggs. These tests measured the amount of force required to crack the eggs, both vertically and horizontally.
While it took about 45 newtons of force to break the eggs in either direction, the horizontally compressed eggs were able to withstand more pressure before cracking. This suggests that eggs are more flexible around their equator, allowing them to absorb more energy and resist breaking.
The researchers believe that the common misconception about vertical strength comes from confusing stiffness with toughness.
Eggs are indeed stiffer when compressed vertically, which means they resist bending.
However, stiffness does not equal toughness—the ability to absorb energy and resist cracking. In fact, eggs are tougher when compressed from the side, which is why they survive falls better in that orientation.
The study’s findings could extend beyond eggs and have implications for engineering and design. Understanding how objects like eggs respond to different types of pressure and impact could inspire stronger, more resilient structures that better withstand shocks and dynamic loads.
So, the next time you’re handling eggs, remember: they are stronger when lying on their side.
This small discovery not only changes the way we look at eggs but also offers new insights into material strength and design in the world of engineering.
