An Eggstra Cool Project

Purple egg after six days

PIN 6    An Eggstra Cool Project

After - both eggs started out the same size and color

So it's a little harder than I thought it would be to post a "pin" a week.  However, we've been keeping up with our weekly projects, sometimes more than one.  Oh, I love Ironman.  When did Robert Downey, Jr. become so awesome (that's code for "Hot")?  Therein lies the problem; I get distracted easily.  Now, what was I saying...oh yes, eggs.  

I ran across an old science project on pinterest and enlisted my kids and a few of their friends to help out.  This is a great way to get the kids interested in using the scientific method.  Together we discussed the problem/question.  Then each child developed their own hypothesis, documented their materials and procedures, noted their observations, and finally- recorded their results.  Each child decided what ingredients and the ratios to be added to their egg project.  The project called for white eggs but we only had brown eggs...that sort upped the ante for us. 

All five cups Day 1 covered with plastic so no stinky!

Ingredients:                                                                   

five brown eggs

five porcelain mugs

white vinegar

tap water

dye tablets (for Easter eggs) 

Cup 1:  Ginger Ale and one egg

 Cup: 1 - Ginger Ale grew a little mold (that one said was "AweSome!") by day six.  The shell was hard and the inside intact when we cracked it open.

Cup 2:  Day 1, one egg, vinegar

 Cup 2:  egg and vinegar

Bubbles started to form immediately after pouring vinegar over the egg.  Over several days we removed the egg to observe.  Rinsed with water and watched the pigment dissolve a little each day.  So much liquid had been absorbed into the egg by day four that we had to add more vinegar to cover the egg. 

Cup 2:  Day 6

Cup 2:  Day 6

So rubbery we could drop it from 7 inches above the bowl and it bounced without breaking -COOL!

Pierced the skin and it was super thin! 

 Cup 3:  Absorbed the blue dye into the egg white, but did not pass through the second membrane into the yolk.  The kids found this very interesting and started asking about the layers of the egg.

Cup 3:  Day 6  Vinegar, blue dye, egg

Cup 3:  Day 6 after removing skin and piercing yolk membrane

Cup 4:  Day 6, Egg, 1/2c water, 1/2c vinegar, purple dye

Cup 4:  Day 2

Cup 4:  It took longer for the shell to dissolve on the fourth cup.  The purple dye stained the membrane and created a "lace" like effect on the inside of the egg shell.  Again, the yolk membrane was not permeated. 

Cup 5:  Still soaking.  We're thinking about adding a solution to see if we can dehydrate this one.  Not sure yet.  We'll keep ya posted.

Cup 5:  Day one 1/3c water, 2/3c vinegar, red dye tablet, one egg

 

 

 Tying it all together...

-There is a great explanation of the parts of an egg at The Accidental Scientist/exploratorium

-This experiment demonstrates permeability well - ie:  outer membranes more permeable than the yolk membrane.  

-The Department of Physics at the University of Illinois has an easy to read scientific explanation of why the egg shells dissolved. 

This was a fun experiment and has prepared the kids to tackle their science fair project next school year!