Bouncy Naked Egg Experiment

What you need

• Eggs, 1 raw egg per cup
• White vinegar, about 1 to 1.5 cups (250 to 350 ml) per egg
• Clear cups, 1 per egg
• Plate or tray, 1
• Paper towels, a few
• Spoon, 1
• Paper, 1 sheet (optional)
• Crayons or markers, a few (optional)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Set out one raw egg per child, a clear cup each and enough white vinegar to cover the eggs. Needs about 2 days of waiting, so pick a spot where the cups won't be knocked over. The egg stays raw inside, so it is not for eating.

1. Gently place a raw egg into a clear cup.
   Ask: What do you think will happen to the shell when we add vinegar?
2. Pour white vinegar over the egg until it is covered. Ask for help if you need it
3. Watch the tiny bubbles form on the shell.
4. Leave the cup alone for two days while the shell dissolves.
   Ask: What do you think the egg will look and feel like after two days?
5. Lift out the rubbery egg with a spoon. Ask for help if you need it
6. Drop the egg from a few centimetres above a plate and watch it bounce! Ask for help if you need it
   Ask: How high do you think it can go before it bursts?
7. Wash your hands well with soap and water.
8. Now show your family, or try another egg! How bouncy can yours be?
   Ask: What was the biggest surprise about your egg?

Play it again

• Time test: take one egg out after one day and another after two days, then compare.
• Guess the bounce: everyone guesses the drop height, then you test it low over the plate.
• Egg race: set up two cups and guess which shell will vanish first.