We started our Summer Science Bucket list off with a bang by doing the Naked Egg experiment. (We didn’t let the news about the chicken egg shortage keep us from sacrificing an egg to science!)
Here is our egg in a glass of vinegar. Notice the bubbles that formed on the egg?
The vinegar (an acid) is reacting with the calcium carbonate (a base) in the shell letting off carbon dioxide gas. This reaction ultimately dissolves the eggshell. A few minutes later, the bubbles caused the egg to float and it reminded us of our dancing raisin experiment!
We patiently waited for almost a week for the shell to dissolve (since we were following Steve Spangler’s instructions) and I was impressed with Allie’s patience. I read later that it would only take 24 hours to dissolve. But it was worth the wait!
Here are some of the highlights of our naked egg experiment:
- The egg was slimy and it could bounce!
- We could shine a light and see the yolk spinning around inside the egg.
- We learned an unattended egg is vulnerable and a prime target for a little brother who just wanted to squeeze and pop the experiment.
- In 24 hours we had another naked egg that Allie enjoyed popping with her own hands!
- There was a membrane left over after the shell dissolved. We noted that we’ve seen this membrane before when trying to peel a boiled egg. (See her reaction to the membrane?)
Allie termed this experiment the “egg-splosion” after her little brother exploded our results in a yolk-y mess. She documented our fun by drawing her own process flow diagram of our experiment.
Have you tried an experiment on the Summer Science bucket list? The naked egg experiment is a simple one and so worth it!
Yes, we love experiments with eggs!! Plus, the kids really like to eat hard boiled eggs, so win-win. Make breakfast + make science.
We’ve also really loved dying hard boiled eggs. I don’t keep easter egg dye handy in the house, but we discovered if you put just plain food coloring in jars of water and let peeled hard boiled eggs sit for an hour or so, they become dyed. Good experiments with washable color and edible products.
I’ll take a pic the next time we do our “egg-speriment” and tag you!
Thanks for the inspiration for summer science fun!
Morgan
That’s interesting Morgan! On Easter we usually dye the eggs with hotwater, vinegar, and food coloring. (I guess after this experiment I can appreciate why we add vinegar!)
I’m so glad you liked it! Simple and fun science!