1. The mean energy, Ef, required for fracture of an egg shell at its equator by a flat plate is known to depend on shell compression speed, vm, for speeds in the range 20 μm/s to 2.lb5 mm/s; analysis of published data shows that Ef bears a linear relationship to log (vm ) throughout the industrially important speed range from 20 μm/s to 1.lb1 m/s, increasing from 1.lb3 to 5.lb0 mJ.
2. At lower speeds down to 2 μm/s Ef is constant.
3. Ef is reduced if the flat plate is replaced by a sphere or cylinder; the greater its curvature, the smaller Ef.
4. Ef for the narrow pole is greater and for the broad pole smaller than that for the equator but these differences may be due in part to . systematic differences in shell thickness as well as curvature.