Year 10 are studying how packaging protects fragile products, and the department's old egg drop only told them whether the egg survived. Each group has a school phone in a protective case running phyphox's acceleration experiment, and three identical card boxes lined with expanded polystyrene, corrugated card and moulded pulp. They seal the phone in each box, drop it from one metre onto a gym mat, and read the graph for the spike at impact, recording its peak and roughly how long it lasts; if a spike is flat-topped, the sensor has reached its limit and the group adds a second mat. Three drops per box give a mean, and groups find that the liner which spreads the stop over more time gives the lowest peak. The lesson ends with each group recommending a liner for posting a glass candle holder, justified by their measurements.
This page is one of a growing set of PICRAT examples by cell, subject and grade. Page maintained by Andy Perryer.