Let’s talk about eggs... they really are incredible.
A few weeks ago, at the Planetarium, we learned how strong the dome shape of an egg is and that a carton of eggs can hold the weight of a person!
This week we are learning how to dissolve eggshells and make them into a soft blob of goo or a naked egg.
For this, we need to do some chemistry.
First, what you’ll need:
- A raw egg
- A tall glass or beaker
- Vinegar, enough to cover an egg completely.
Steps:
- Place the egg in the glass or beaker, then cover the egg with vinegar.
- Observe the egg. What do you notice?
- Move the glass to a spot where it won’t be disturbed. Leave the egg in the vinegar for 24 hours.
- The next day carefully drain the vinegar from the glass. Then cover the egg with fresh vinegar.
- Move the glass back to its safe spot and keep it there for the next seven days. Observe what happens to the eggshell, paying particular attention to the bubbles forming on the eggshell’s surface.
- After the week is up, carefully pour out the vinegar and rinse the egg with water. The eggshell will have completely disappeared by now, leaving a translucent egg that is slightly larger than before.
Note:
Use a strainer or slotted spatula in Steps 4 and 6 to drain the vinegar from the glass. Be careful about using a spoon as it may cause the fragile egg to break.
When this egg-periment is finished, you should have a cool looking, Jello like egg to play with.
For more information or to check out other fun at home science experiments, go to clarkplanetarium.org.
