Final answer:
The biggest difference in whether an egg would survive a fall is related to the impact surface. Softer impact surfaces increase the impact duration and reduce the force experienced by the falling object, thereby increasing the likelihood of survival.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the question of what variable made the biggest difference on whether an egg would survive a fall or not, the answer is B. Impact Surface. If we consider the physics involved in a fall, what matters most is the rate of deceleration upon impact, which is greatly affected by the surface. A softer surface, such as a padded or carpet surface, will increase the duration of the impact, spreading out the force over a longer time and thus reducing its effect, according to the principle ΔΡ = when the mass is At. This concept is illustrated in instances like why it hurts less to fall on a softer surface: a softer surface increases the duration of the impact, which, per Newton's second law of motion, means the force experienced by the falling object is reduced.
A higher height of fall potentially increases the speed at which the egg would strike the ground, making the fall more severe, while the egg's mass would contribute to the force at impact due to gravitational pull. However, the impact surface plays a crucial role in determining the survivability of the egg during the fall. For example, an egg falling from the same height will have a better chance of survival if it lands on a padded surface rather than a hard concrete one. Additionally, experiments and demonstrations on Earth and the Moon have shown that falling objects experience less force upon impact in environments with lower gravitational acceleration, like the Moon's surface.