Springtime is the time for baby chicks, bunnies, and fun activities involving eggs.
This week we had fun with a super simple egg experiment.
Your child will be fascinated when you discover how to make a rubber egg.
For more egg science, check out our floating egg experiment, too.
Egg experiments are perfect for spring.
For more fun with eggs…try making your own egg submarines.
Rubber Egg Experiment
Materials Needed:
- 1 raw egg
- vinegar
- container large enough to hold egg and vinegar
Making a rubber egg is super simple.
Place your uncooked egg into the container and cover it with vinegar.
You will notice that bubbles appear on the egg’s shell almost immediately. After a few minutes the area surrounding the egg will be full of bubbles.
Place your egg in a cool, dark place for at least two days.
After two days, take out the egg and dry it off. The egg will be noticeably larger than it was.
We got another egg out to compare the two. Have your child compare the sizes and how each egg feels.
The egg feels rubbery!
Gently squeeze the egg. You can squish it just a bit.
Glowing Egg Experiment
Take the activity further by making your rubber egg glow.
Take the egg into a semi-dark room.
Place a flashlight underneath the egg and check out the results.
The rubber egg will glow! How cool is that?
Bouncing Egg
Finally, try bouncing your egg on a shallow dish.
We were able to bounce the egg gently several times from a height of 3 inches.
Remember, it’s still an uncooked egg, and eventually it will break. (And, since it’s a raw egg — make sure your child washes their hands once they are finished.)
Why does the rubber egg experiment work?
The vinegar is an acid.
It dissolves the calcium carbonate that makes up the egg’s shell — the carbonate part is what causes those carbon dioxide bubbles you see during the experiment.
What’s left is the egg’s membrane, which will absorb some of the vinegar. This is what causes the egg to get larger.
Extensions to the rubber egg experiment:
- Try the experiment with a white egg and a brown egg. Does one have a shell that dissolves faster?
- Does the experiment work with a hard boiled egg?
Spring is the perfect time to try a few egg experiments of your own.
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First published on March 23, 2016.
