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The Naked Egg Experiment

The naked egg experiment is one of mine and my kids all time favorite home science experiments. We've done it numerous times now, and we are always just as amazed by the results as we were the first time we tried it. 


Learn about egg anatomy and acid base reactions with this simple science experiment


Making A Naked Egg

For this experiment you will need:
-An egg
-A cup
-A few cups of vinegar (we used white vinegar)
-Patience 

Start by placing the egg in the cup and add vinegar until the egg is fully covered.  Almost right away you should notice a reaction taking place. If you look closely you will see tiny bubbles forming around your egg. This is carbon dioxide forming from the reaction between the vinegar's acetic acid and the calcium carbonate that makes up the egg shell. 

Acetic Acid + Calcium Cabonate = Calcium Acetate + Carbon Dioxide+ Water

(This is the same reaction that happens with the acid test in my Mineral Identification Experiment)




Leave the egg in the vinegar overnight. In the morning carefully change out the vinegar in your cup for fresh vinegar. If you use a brown egg, like we did, you will notice a lot of the brown color has dissolved away overnight. You will also notice that your egg's shell is becoming squishy. 


Now comes the being patient part. Let your egg sit in the vinegar for another 1-2 days, until the shell has completely disappeared and all that is left holding your egg together is a semi-transparent membrane. You may have to gently rinse under water to get the remains of the shell off. Be careful not to pop the membrane though!


Take a look at your egg in good sunlight or try shining a flashlight through it. You should be able to see the yolk inside!


The Naked Egg Experiment- from The Barefoot Mom


A Fun Spin On This Experiment - Bouncing Eggs

Try this fun spin on the naked egg experiment! Soak several eggs in vinegar for 24 hours. The shells should be good and squishy by then. Then try dropping eggs from varying heights to see how high you have to drop it from to make the membrane burst. This is a messy experiment so you'll probably want to set it up outside.


Additional Resources
Extended the learning with these resources about egg anatomy and acid base reactions:


-The Anatomy of an Egg Diagram from The Accidental Scientist

-Acids, Bases, and the pH scale video from Likeable Science 


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Comments

  1. RainaMarch 26, 2018 at 5:38 PM

    How fun! I cannot wait to do this with my oldest. We are always looking for science experiments to do!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lynn WoodsMarch 27, 2018 at 4:59 AM

    What a cool experiment!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MarieMarch 27, 2018 at 7:29 PM

    This looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it out!

    ReplyDelete

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