Can you make an egg bounce? Try this simple rubber egg experiment using just an egg and vinegar!
Also called the egg in vinegar experiment or bouncy egg experiment, this classic science activity takes only minutes to set up. Over the next few days, kids can watch a chemical reaction dissolve the hard eggshell and leave behind a soft, rubbery egg.
Once the shell is gone, the science exploration continues. Observe the egg, measure it, shine a flashlight through it, and even test whether your rubber egg can bounce!
- Grade Level: K–4
- Field of Science: Chemistry
💡 Quick Tip: This experiment takes only a few minutes to set up, but the egg needs to soak in vinegar for about 48 to 72 hours.
What Kids Will Learn
The rubber egg experiment is an easy way to explore a chemical reaction using simple materials.
Kids can investigate:
- Chemical reactions
- Acids and calcium carbonate
- Carbon dioxide gas
- Observation and change over time
- Semi-permeable membranes
- Osmosis
Younger kids can focus on observing the bubbles and changes to the eggshell. Older kids can measure the egg, collect data, and investigate why its size changes.
Rubber Egg Experiment Supplies
You only need two main supplies for this simple egg science experiment!
- Raw egg
- White vinegar
- Jar or clear container
Optional: Food coloring, magnifying glass, flashlight, ruler, measuring tape, or kitchen scale
How To Make a Rubber Egg
STEP 1: Carefully place a raw egg in a jar or clear container.
STEP 2: Pour in enough vinegar to completely cover the egg.
Look closely at the eggshell. You should begin to notice tiny bubbles forming on its surface.
STEP 3: Leave the egg in the vinegar for 48 to 72 hours.
Check the egg each day and record any changes you notice. What happens to the bubbles? Does the surface of the egg look different?
STEP 4: Carefully remove the egg from the vinegar and rinse it with water.
Gently rub away any remaining shell residue. The hard outer shell should be gone, leaving the thin membrane surrounding the egg white and yolk.
You made a rubber egg!
Why Does Vinegar Dissolve an Eggshell?
An eggshell contains a mineral called calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate helps give the eggshell its hard structure.
Vinegar contains acetic acid. When the acetic acid in vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell, a chemical reaction occurs. One of the products of this reaction is carbon dioxide gas.
🔎 Those tiny bubbles forming on the eggshell are carbon dioxide!
As the chemical reaction continues, the calcium carbonate in the shell breaks down. Eventually, the hard eggshell disappears, and the egg’s thin membrane remains.
Ask Kids: What evidence can you observe that a chemical reaction is happening?
The bubbles and the changing eggshell are both observable evidence of a chemical change.
👉 Try another reaction: Our Seashells in Vinegar Experiment explores what happens when vinegar reacts with another material containing calcium carbonate.
Why Does the Rubber Egg Get Bigger?
You may notice that your egg looks larger after soaking in vinegar.
This change is connected to osmosis. The membrane surrounding the egg is semi-permeable. This means some substances can move through the membrane more easily than others.
Water can move across the egg membrane. As water moves through the membrane, the egg’s size and mass can change.
🔎 Turn this observation into a simple science investigation by measuring the egg before and after soaking it in vinegar.
You can measure:
- Circumference
- Length
- Mass
Record your measurements and compare the results.
💡 Explore our Egg Osmosis Lab for another hands-on investigation of osmosis.
Explore Your Rubber Egg
Don’t stop experimenting when the eggshell disappears! The finished rubber egg gives kids several fascinating ways to observe and investigate.
- Observe the egg. Use a magnifying glass to examine the membrane. How does the rubber egg look different from a regular raw egg?
- Feel the egg. Gently squeeze the egg. Does it feel soft, firm, slippery, squishy, or stretchy?
- Measure the egg. Compare its size or mass with a fresh egg. What changed?
- Shine a light through it. Hold a flashlight behind the rubber egg in a darkened room. Can you see the yolk inside?
- Test the bounce. Gently drop the egg from a very low height onto a tray or easy-to-clean surface. Does it bounce?
⚠️ Messy Science Alert: A rubber egg can burst! Protect your work surface and start with a very low drop.
Can You Make a Bouncy Egg?
Yes! A rubber egg can bounce slightly because its hard shell has been removed, leaving the flexible membrane intact. However, remember that it is still a raw egg, not a bouncy ball!
Start by dropping the egg from a very low height onto a tray. If the membrane stays intact, increase the height in small increments.
Test It: How high can your rubber egg bounce before the membrane breaks?
Measure each drop’s height and record the results.
🔎 This simple extension turns the classic bouncy egg activity into a hands-on science investigation.
Can You See Through a Rubber Egg?
Shine a bright flashlight through your rubber egg. Check out the egg in a dark room if possible!
Without the hard outer shell, light can pass through the egg differently. You may be able to see the yolk and other structures inside the egg.
Move the flashlight around the egg and observe it from different angles.
Ask Kids: What can you see now that you could not see through the original eggshell?
Will a Rubber Egg Burst?
Yes! The thin membrane surrounding a rubber egg can break.
We carefully punctured our rubber egg with a skewer and watched the membrane burst. It gave us a closer look at the egg after the calcium carbonate shell had dissolved.
If you try this extension, place the egg in a tray or container first. Warning: It can get messy!
Turn the Egg in Vinegar Experiment Into an Investigation
Want to go beyond the basic rubber egg experiment? Choose one variable to change and compare your results.
- Compare different liquids. Place eggs in vinegar and water. Do both eggs change in the same way?
- Compare eggshell colors. Test a brown egg and a white egg. Do you observe any differences in the reaction?
- Measure the egg. Record the circumference or mass of the egg before and after soaking it in vinegar.
- Track changes over time. Observe the egg at the same time each day. Draw or write down what you notice.
- Change the soaking time. Compare eggs soaked in vinegar for different lengths of time.
Encourage kids to make a prediction before starting the experiment. Then use their observations and measurements as evidence to explain what happened.
💡 Learn more about how to choose variables and write a hypothesis you can test.
Get the Free Chemistry Quick Start Guide
Grab our FREE Chemistry Quick Start Guide with easy chemistry experiments using household supplies plus a reusable Science Investigation Planner for predictions, observations, and results.
It’s an easy way to keep experimenting after you make your rubber egg!
👉 GET THE FREE CHEMISTRY QUICK START GUIDE
Rubber Egg Experiment FAQ
How long does it take to make a rubber egg? A rubber egg usually needs to soak in vinegar for about 48 to 72 hours. The exact time can vary depending on the egg and how completely it is covered with vinegar.
Why are there bubbles on the egg in vinegar? The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas. They form when the acetic acid in vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell.
What happens when you put an egg in vinegar for 24 hours? After 24 hours, you should notice bubbles and changes to the surface of the eggshell. However, the shell may not be completely dissolved yet. Leave the egg in vinegar longer if hard shell remains.
Why does an egg become rubbery in vinegar? Vinegar reacts with and breaks down the calcium carbonate eggshell. Once the hard shell is gone, the flexible membrane surrounding the egg remains, giving it a rubbery feel.
Is the rubber egg cooked? No. The egg inside the membrane is still raw. The vinegar removes the calcium carbonate shell but does not cook the egg.
Can you eat a rubber egg? No. This rubber egg is a science experiment and should not be eaten.
Can a rubber egg really bounce? A rubber egg may bounce slightly from a low height because the flexible membrane remains after the shell dissolves. However, the membrane can easily break, so always test it over a tray or easy-to-clean surface.
Why does the egg get bigger in vinegar? The egg can increase in size as water moves across its semi-permeable membrane. This movement of water is connected to osmosis.
What happens if you leave an egg in vinegar too long? The egg can continue to change as it sits in the liquid. The membrane may become more fragile, and the egg’s size may change as water moves across it.
More Everyday Science Experiments
You don’t need complicated equipment or hard-to-find supplies to explore science with kids.
Our Everyday Science Labs Pack is filled with approachable hands-on investigations using simple materials. Explore real science concepts, encourage observation, and help kids think like scientists with activities you can actually set up and use.
👉 EXPLORE THE QUICK WINS, EVERYDAY SCIENCE LABS PACK
More Related Science Experiments
Keep exploring chemical reactions, osmosis, and how different materials change with these simple science experiments.
- Seashells in Vinegar: Observe what happens when vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in a seashell.
- Potato Osmosis Lab: Explore osmosis and investigate how water moves in and out of potato cells.
- Gummy Bear Osmosis: Measure and compare gummy bears before and after soaking them in different liquids.
- Dissolving Candy Experiment: Test different liquids to find out which dissolves candy the fastest.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment: Observe gas production during a classic acid-base chemical reaction.
- Magic Milk Experiment: Explore how dish soap interacts with fat and changes surface tension.
- Penny Chemistry Experiment: Use simple household liquids to investigate oxidation and chemical changes.
- Alka Seltzer Experiment: Observe a fizzing chemical reaction and investigate carbon dioxide gas.
👉 Explore more easy Science Experiments for Kids.
AMAZING!
my my bursted my rubberr egg im very upset
is this a fair test?
too many pages to print out….not easy to be able to do .keeps saying click below but get the cards on hypothesisi…dont want that
This is an awesome activity.
This was amazing! in the end it turned out great! my sister popped it tho :c