All you need to make a bouncy egg is a glass, an egg, and vinegar. Fill the glass with vinegar, drop in the egg, and wait for the vinegar to dissolve the shell. The process starts immediately, and it will take about 24 hours to complete. (If the shell isn't completely dissolved after 24 hours, change the vinegar and let it sit for another 24 hours.)
After the shell has completely dissolved, rinse the egg in cold water, and dry it off. Children will be amazed by the "rubber" egg they have created.
Check out this little video we made to show the show the finished product.
This really is a fun way to explore science with children. My boys loved playing with the bouncy egg, shining a flashlight into it to see the yolk, and poking it with a knife to see the inside. Is there anything better than feeding the curiosity of a young mind?
Does NOT work. We followed experiment directions exactly. My kids gently bounced the eggs on the counter and they exploded immediately. 3 wasted eggs, 3 disappointed kids and a huge mess.
ReplyDeleteReally? That's so strange. We've done it multiple times over the years, and it has always worked for us. Was the shell completely dissolved? I've heard people have had to leave it between 24 and 48 hours... but we've always found 24 worked for us. Maybe try leaving it longer and changing the vinegar halfway through. I am really surprised because it has always worked for us. Sorry it didn't work for you.
DeleteAnybody else have the problem of the darn egg floating?? lol
DeleteOnce this is done, can you pop the egg and the yolk is runny or is it now the consistency of a hard boiled egg inside? We don't want to poke it and be surprised of what comes out!
ReplyDeleteTotally runny. It's actually fascinating to see how thin the membrane is. When you are bouncing it, it seems strong, but it is not at all. We broke ours in the sink.
DeleteThis was really neat, we waited about 30 hours and the egg was definitely bouncy. My boys thought it was so cool! My youngest got too excited and bounced it from too high a spot and it popped, but nonetheless, they thought it was great! Thank you so much for your post :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad it worked out for you. It's still an egg, so you need to be careful. I hope it didn't make too much of a mess. :-)
DeleteI remember being fascinated with the rubber egg from Science class many years ago. I would drive my mother crazy always had an egg soaking in vinegar and the longer the better. Weeks at a time that is why my mother was worried but never had a rotten egg. Just sit back be patient! 😊
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny the things we remember from our childhood? I bet my boys will remember this. :-)
Deletecould you explain the science behind this?
ReplyDeleteI'm not an expert... but basically, the acid in the vinegar is reacting with the calcium in the shell. The shell dissolves, and leaves the membrame in tact. The membrane is still very thin. If you break it (in the sink), you'll see.
DeleteSilly question would the egg still be eatable after the experiment (if the kids didn’t through it on the floor and if we boiled it?) ;)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't. It sits on the counter for 1-2 days, so it might not be very healthy to eat.
DeleteDoes it have to be white vinegar or could good old chip shop vinegar work too?
ReplyDeleteI've only done it with white vinegar, but it would probably work. It's the acid in the vinegar reacting with the calcium in the shell. I guess it would depend on the level of acidity in the vinegar you are using.
DeleteDoes it need to be a white shell egg or it could be brown?
ReplyDeleteEither will work. It's the calcium in the shell that reacts with the vinegar... leaving the membrane.
DeleteHow would u get different colors. I've seen some red, and blue
ReplyDeleteI guess you could try adding food colouring to the vinegar. I might need to try that too! :-)
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