Maker Ideas: Make an Egg Bounce!

Taken from Explorable, this project takes a few days to complete, but teaches some awesome science principles along the way.

You’ll need:

• White vinegar

• Boiled egg

• Glass jar

Take a raw egg and boil it. Place the boiled egg inside the glass jar and pour white vinegar into the jar until the boiled egg is fully immersed in it. Put the lid back on and close the jar tightly. Set it aside and away from direct sunlight for a full day and observe what happens to the egg. Leave it for another week before you drain the egg from the vinegar. Rinse the egg in tap water and dry it. Now go bounce!

Now what is the explanation behind this? This experiment actually demonstrates the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of liquid from a solution of lower concentration to a more concentrated solution through a semi-permeable substance. Permeable means fluids or gases are able to pass through the material. In the Magic Egg experiment, the vinegar slowly diffuses through the egg shell until it dissolves it completely, leaving the egg rubbery or leathery in texture.

So what is in the vinegar that gives it the ability to dissolve the eggshell? Vinegar is an acid. Specifically, it contains acetic acid, which reacts with calcium – the primary component of eggshell. As the eggshell breaks down, carbon dioxide is produced which appears in the form of bubbles. Leaving the egg immersed in the vinegar will cause its shell to dissolve completely.

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