Egg In Vinegar Experiment For Kids

This rubber egg experiment is a classic must try science activity! Can you make an egg bounce? What happens to the shell? Does light pass through it? So many questions and one easy experiment using everyday supplies. We think all science experiments should be exciting, easy, and fun!

TRY THIS FUN NAKED EGG EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS!

THE RUBBER EGG EXPERIMENT!

Get ready to add this simple egg in vinegar experiment to your science lesson plans this season. If you want to learn about a cool chemical reaction, let’s dig in! While you’re at it, make sure to check out these fun chemistry experiments.

There are so many interesting egg experiments and STEM projects! This classic naked egg experiment is very cool and easy to set up. The only difficult part is waiting! A whole week in fact is what you need to wait.

After you set up your naked egg experiment, why not try…

• a simple egg drop STEM challenge
• see if you can make an egg float
•  test the strength of the shell
• Can you make a crystal eggshell?

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

Science learning starts early, and you can be a part of that with setting up science at home with everyday materials. Or you can bring easy science experiments to a group of kids in the classroom!

We find a ton of value in cheap science activities and experiments. All our science experiments use inexpensive, everyday materials you can find at home or source from your local dollar store.

We even have a whole list of kitchen science experiments, using basic supplies you will have in your kitchen.

You can set up your science experiments as an activity focusing on exploration and discovery. Make sure to ask kids questions at each step, discuss what is happening and talk about the science behind it.

Alternatively, you can introduce the scientific method, get kids to record their observations, and make conclusions. Read more about the scientific method for kids to help you get started.

Click here to get your FREE Science Challenge Calendar

TURN IT INTO A SCIENCE PROJECT

For younger kids, this basic version below is perfect! It includes the right amount of play and learning. For older kids, you might want to apply the scientific method by adding in a variable. For example…

• Eggs – Are there differences in eggshells between brown and white eggs? How about organic eggs versus regular eggs?
• Liquid – What happens when you put the rubber egg back in vinegar or another liquid? How about corn syrup? Test different liquids and explore osmosis once the shell is dissolved!

EGG IN VINEGAR EXPERIMENT

This experiment is quick to set up but will need to be left for 48 to 72 hours to completely dissolve the shell, and get your bouncy egg!

YOU WILL NEED:

• Raw Eggs
• Household Vinegar
• Jar or a Vase

SET UP

STEP 1:  Place an egg in the jar and cover with vinegar.

Optional: You can color the vinegar with food coloring for rainbow-colored rubber eggs too!

STEP 2:  Wait and watch!

Notice the bubbles on the eggshell! This is the acid in the vinegar reacting with the calcium carbonate in the shell. This reaction is producing a gas called carbon dioxide!

STEP 3:  After 48 hours, remove the egg and rinse it off. Ours had a layer of brown scum that was easily washed away! 

The hard outer shell is gone and the egg white and yolk are surrounded by a thin membrane.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE EGG IN VINEGAR EXPERIMENT

Eggshells get their hardness from a mineral called calcium carbonate similar to our bones.

When you place the egg into the vinegar, you will start to observe bubbles. These bubbles are a chemical reaction between the acid in the vinegar and the base in the calcium carbonate of the eggshell.

When an acid and a base mix they form carbon dioxide which is a gas. Try our dissolving seashell experiment for another variation of this chemistry lesson.

You can also observe that the egg gets larger as it sits in the vinegar. This is because the eggshell dissolves and leaves a soft, bendable, squeeze-able, rubber egg. Does it bounce?

Kids can gently squeeze the egg and bounce the egg. However, be prepared for the eggs to burst! It’s also fun to take a flashlight to the egg and observe what you can see!

EGG IN VINEGAR RESULTS

Now for the fun part, exploring the naked egg with your child! We gathered a few supplies such as a magnifying glass and a large flashlight. However, first, we talked about what our naked egg felt and looked like. We had made a cool rubbery feeling egg!

Help your child learn to explore by asking questions to spark curiosity!

What does the egg feel like? What color is it? Is it hard or soft? Does it feel squishy?

All of these questions encourage exploration and hands-on learning. Have kids use their senses to observe!  What does it smell like? What does it look like? There are so many ways to explore. Grab the magnifying glass too!

CAN AN EGG BOUNCE?

Yes!!  How high can an egg bounce?

TEST IT: How high can your egg bounce before it breaks? Watch out! This might get messy!

CAN YOU SEE THROUGH AN EGG?

Well, in general, you can’t see through a regular raw egg but what about a rubber egg. What happens when you put the naked egg up to a flashlight?

TEST IT: You can see through it! You can even see the yolk rolling around inside. Why is this? Because the hard outer shell is no longer there, you can see through the membrane of the egg.

WILL A RUBBER EGG BURST?

Of course, we were prompted to wonder what would happen if you burst the naked egg. WOW! With a quick prick from a skewer, the egg burst! We were all quite surprised. The images below show what the naked egg looked like afterward.

FUN KITCHEN SCIENCE WITH EGG IN VINEGAR EXPERIMENT!

Discover more fun and easy STEM activities right here. Click on the link or on the image below.