Bouncing Eggs

This is a fun experiment but it does take a some time and patience! You simply need a raw egg, a glass jar and some vinegar!

Fill the glass jar with vinegar and carefully place the egg into the jar. The egg should be fully submerged in the vinegar. Now, the part where you have to be patient! Leave the egg in the vinegar for 2 – 3 days. You can check it every now and then to see it’s progress. When the egg is translucent you will know it is ready.

When the egg is ready remove it from the jar. Gently rinse it under cold running water and rub it carefully to remove the white ‘film’. The egg now feels rubbery, a bit like a bouncy ball. Lift it a little and let it go – it will bounce!

If you want to make a mess you can lift it higher and drop it and watch it go splat!

The science bit! The vinegar – a weak acid – reacts with the calcium carbonate in the egg shell. It’s like a much slower version of the vinegar and baking soda reaction. Once the shell has been worn away by the vinegar the vinegar can then go through the egg’s membrane and it actually strengthens the membrane meaning the egg can bounce (but not too hard)!