The Bouncing Egg With Added Bonus!
What happens when you remove an eggshell without cracking the egg? Watch an ordinary egg transform into a rubbery, shell-free egg, shrink in corn syrup, and grow again in colorful water!
Ingredients
1 raw egg
White vinegar (enough to submerge the egg)
Light corn syrup (enough to submerge the egg)
Water
Food coloring
3 clear glasses or jars
Spoon
Directions
Carefully place a raw egg in a clear glass or jar.
Pour enough white vinegar into the glass to completely cover the egg.
Let the egg sit for 24–48 hours. You'll notice bubbles forming as the vinegar reacts with the shell.
Once the shell has dissolved, carefully remove the egg and gently rinse it with water. The egg should feel soft and rubbery!
Transfer the shell-free egg into a second glass filled with enough corn syrup to cover it.
Let it sit for approximately 24 hours, then observe how the egg has shriveled and decreased in size.
Carefully remove the egg and place it into a third glass filled with water and several drops of food coloring.
Wait another 24 hours and watch as the egg expands again. You may even notice the egg taking on some of the water's color!
The Science Behind It
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell and dissolves it, leaving behind the egg's flexible membrane.
The shrinking and growing happen through a process called osmosis. Water moves across the egg's membrane in response to differences in dissolved substances. Corn syrup draws water out of the egg, causing it to shrink. When the egg returns to plain water, water moves back inside, making it expand!