egg and vinegar experiment lesson plan

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Love to cook, bake, craft, create?

Join the e-club for the latest.

One Little Project

Cook, bake, craft, create, one little project at a time!

Egg in Vinegar Experiment

This egg in vinegar experiment is such a fun science activity for kids! Did you know that you can change regular eggs into bouncy eggs in one simple step?! So cool!

The egg in vinegar experiment, also known as a “naked egg” or “bouncy egg”, is the perfect simple STEM activity. Kids and adults alike will enjoy squeezing and bouncing the naked egg. It’s so cool to see an egg staying together without its shell!

This chemistry experiment uses basic pantry items and is great for practicing scientific observation. The bouncy egg experiment helps kids understand acid-base reactions and osmosis.

I’d recommend a tiled kitchen floor or an outdoor area for the bouncing part of this experiment… not that I speak from experience, like maybe a blue egg rolled off the table onto the carpet. Nope, definitely didn’t happen here…

Check out our Egg in Vinegar video tutorial:

*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.

Looking for more science experiments? Here’s some of our favourites:

Tornado in a Jar

How to Make a Lava Lamp

Popsicle Stick Catapult

How to Make Salt Crystals

Here’s what you’ll need:

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission which helps us run this website.

The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used:

• Food colouring (optional)
• Highlighter (optional)
• Blacklight flashlight (optional; for glowing highlighter egg)

How does the egg become bouncy?

The egg and vinegar experiment creates a bouncy egg by dissolving the shell of the egg! Vinegar is made up of water and acetic acid, while an eggshell is mostly calcium carbonate.

Leaving the egg in vinegar creates a classic acid-base chemical reaction. The acetic acid dissolves the calcium carbonate, leaving the egg white and egg yolk protected by the egg’s membrane. This membrane is why the egg becomes a bouncy “rubber egg”.

Why is the rubber egg larger after sitting in vinegar?

The naked egg becomes larger because of osmosis. Osmosis, in this experiment, is when the water in the vinegar passes through the egg’s semipermeable membrane.

A semipermeable membrane is a membrane that allows certain substances (like water) through. Water molecules move from the vinegar into the egg until the water concentration is equal on both sides of the membrane. The egg gets larger as more water moves inside the egg’s membrane.

How do you make the egg glow?

The full instructions are below, but in a nutshell, you soak the egg in vinegar with the ink from a highlighter. Then turn off the lights and use a blacklight flashlight to see the egg glow like in the photo below!

How long does the egg have to sit in the vinegar?

As soon as the vinegar touches the eggshell you can see carbon dioxide gas bubbles, created as the acetic acid starts to eat away at the calcium carbonate. While you can see that immediate reaction, you will have to wait a day or two for the eggshell to dissolve.

The shells on our eggs were soft after 24 hours, but it took about 48 hours for the shell to completely dissolve. We left some in the vinegar as long as 4 days, but there wasn’t any difference between the ones that sat for 2 days compared to 4 days.

How else can I experiment with naked eggs?

Instead of vinegar, put your egg in Coca-Cola, orange juice, or another acidic liquid. How do the results compare to the vinegar?

After doing the egg in vinegar experiment, try putting the naked egg in corn syrup! How long does it take for the egg to shrivel up? Corn syrup has a lower concentration of water, meaning that water leaves the egg in order to equalize the water on both sides of the membrane. Will it grow again if you put it back in water?

Measure and weigh a raw egg compared to the bouncy egg. How much did it grow in the vinegar? There are many simple observations and predictions you can make with this experiment, making it a great science activity for kids.

• raw egg in shell
• 1-3 cups vinegar (enough to cover egg)
• Food colouring (optional)
• highlighter (optional)
• Mason jar (or other glass or container)
• spoon/stir stick (if using food colouring)
• blacklight/UV flashlight (optional, for highlighter glowing egg)

Instructions:

Step 1: make a naked egg.

Step 2: Make a coloured egg (optional)

Step 3: Make a glowing egg (optional)

Step 4: Wait for shell to dissolve

Helpful Tip:

The rubber egg is such a classic science experiment! This STEM hands on learning activity is a must try because of how easy it is to set up.

Bounce and squeeze your naked egg, shine a light through it to see the yolk, and even make a coloured or glowing egg!

Here’s even more science experiments:

Where to buy:

You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon , or wherever books are sold:

Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble   |    Books- A- Million   |    Indiebound   |   Indigo   |   Amazon Canada

More from One Little Project

About Debbie Chapman , the Author of this Post

I'm Debbie Chapman, founder of One Little Project and author of the book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids . I love creating fun and easy crafts and cooking up delicious recipes for my husband and 3 kids.

Low-Mess Crafts for Kids

72 Projects to Create Your Own Magical Worlds

Reader Interactions

Let us know what you think: cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

March 24, 2023 at 3:44 pm

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

Egg In Vinegar (Rubber Egg) Experiment

Find out why this rubber egg or bouncy egg experiment is a classic must-try science activity you can set up in minutes in the classroom or at home! How can you make an egg bounce? What happens to the shell? Does light pass through it? All science experiments should be exciting, easy, and fun!

Egg In Vinegar Experiment

💡 This experiment is quick to set up, but it must be left for 48 to 72 hours to dissolve the shell and create a bouncy egg!

• Household Vinegar
• Jar or a Vase

STEP 1:   Place an egg in the jar and cover with vinegar.

Optional: You can color the vinegar with food coloring for rainbow-colored rubber eggs too!

STEP 2:   Wait and watch!

Notice the bubbles on the eggshell! The acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the shell. This reaction produces a gas called carbon dioxide!

STEP 3:   After 48 hours, remove the egg and rinse it off. Ours had a layer of brown scum that was easily washed away!

The hard outer shell is gone and the egg white and yolk are surrounded by a thin membrane.

Why Does An Egg Become Bouncy In Vinegar?

Eggshells get their hardness from a mineral called calcium carbonate similar to our bones. When you place the egg into the vinegar, you will observe bubbles.

These bubbles or gas are produced because of the chemical reaction between the vinegar (an acid) and the calcium carbonate (the base) in the eggshell.

When an acid and a base mix, they form carbon dioxide, a gas. Learn more about acids and bases.

The eggshell breaks down, leaving a soft, bendable, squeeze-able, rubber egg. Does it bounce? Kids can gently squeeze the egg and bounce the egg. However, be prepared for the eggs to burst! See our suggestions below.

Try our seashells in vinegar experiment for another variation of this chemistry lesson.

How does osmosis work?

You may have noticed that the egg gets larger as the shell disappears. The process of osmosis is the reason the inside of the egg increases in its size!

Osmosis is the movement of water through a semi-permeable cell membrane. The water from the vinegar moved inside the egg because of the tiny holes in the membrane.

However, the holes are not big enough to allow the egg to come out, so now the egg and water are inside the cell membrane together! The cell membrane is called semi-permeable because only some materials can pass through. Learn more about osmosis here!

FREE Printable Science Activities Calendar

Fun Things To Do With Your Rubber Egg

Now for the fun part: exploring the naked egg with students! We gathered a few supplies such as a magnifying glass and a large flashlight. However, first, we talked about what our naked egg felt and looked like. We had made a cool, rubbery feeling egg!

💡 TIP: Help your child learn to explore by asking questions to spark curiosity!

All of these questions encourage exploration and hands-on learning. Have kids use their senses to observe ! What does it smell like? What does it look like? There are so many ways to explore. Grab the magnifying glass too!

Can an egg bounce?

Yes!! How high can an egg bounce?

TEST IT: How high can your egg bounce before it breaks? Watch out! This might get messy!

Can you see through an egg?

In general, you can’t see through a raw egg but what about a rubber egg? What happens when you put the naked egg up to a flashlight?

TEST IT: You can see through it! You can even see the yolk rolling around inside. Why is this? Because the hard outer shell is no longer there, you can see through the membrane of the egg.

Will a rubber egg eventually burst?

Of course, we were prompted to wonder what would happen if you burst the naked egg. WOW! With a quick prick from a skewer, the egg burst! We were all quite surprised. The images below show what the naked egg looked like afterward.

Turn It Into An Bouncy Egg Science Project

This basic version below is perfect for younger kids. It includes the right amount of play and learning . For older kids, apply the scientific method by using variables . For example…

• Eggs – Are there differences in eggshells between brown and white eggs? How about organic eggs versus regular eggs?
• Liquid – What happens when you put the rubber egg back in vinegar or another liquid? How about corn syrup? Test different liquids and explore osmosis once the shell is dissolved!

Want to turn this fun science experiment into a science project? Then check out these helpful resources.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas

More Fun Science Experiments To Try

• Take egg drop STEM challenge
• See if you can make an egg float
• Test the strength of the shell
• Make a crystal eggshell .
• Set up a potato osmosis lab.
• Dissolve a seashell!

Printable Science Projects Pack

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
• Science Fair Project Pack with experiments to try!

14 Comments

• Pingback: Best Kids Science Experiments for a Year of Science Fun!
• Pingback: Easter Science Activities and Easter STEM Ideas for Kids
• Pingback: Easter Science Activities For Kids: 24 Incredible Experiments
• Pingback: Chemistry Activities and Science Experiments for Kids
• Pingback: Salt Water Density Experiment For Kids | Little Bins for Little Hands
• Pingback: 25 Best Science Experiments For Kids | Little Bins for Little Hands
• Pingback: The BEST Very Simple Science Experiments for Kids to Try Anywhere
• Pingback: 40+ Super Easy Science Fair Project Ideas For Every Grade And Age – Beeblebuy

my my bursted my rubberr egg im very upset

is this a fair test?

too many pages to print out….not easy to be able to do .keeps saying click below but get the cards on hypothesisi…dont want that

This is an awesome activity.

This was amazing! in the end it turned out great! my sister popped it tho :c

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Free Attendance Questions Slideshow ✨

Egg and Vinegar Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet

It’s so easy you’ll want to do it again and again.

You and your students are going to love the Egg and Vinegar Experiment. It’s an easy project you can complete in a few days, and it makes a good science fair experiment too. We asked 3rd grader Hazel from Baltimore, Maryland, to help us put this one to the test, and she did a great job. Be sure to check out her video for step-by-step instructions, and then keep reading to learn how to do the experiment on your own.

Also grab your free, printable Egg and Vinegar Experiment recording sheet when you fill out the form on this page.

How does the Egg and Vinegar Experiment work?

The Egg and Vinegar Experiment, also known as the “Naked Egg Experiment,” demonstrates osmosis. Placing an egg in vinegar triggers a reaction between the eggshell’s calcium carbonate and the vinegar’s acetic acid, producing carbon dioxide bubbles. As the acetic acid dissolves the eggshell over time, the semi-permeable membrane remains, permitting water molecules to enter via osmosis. This influx causes the egg to swell.

Check out this video tutorial of the experiment, featuring 3rd grader Hazel:

How do you do the experiment?

First, get your materials together..

You’ll need an egg, a graduated cylinder, and white vinegar.

Put your egg in the vinegar.

Pour white vinegar into a graduated cylinder. Fill it high enough so that your egg will be completely submerged. Gently add your egg.

Observe the egg.

Keep an eye on it for a couple of days to notice the changes. Then after a few days, you can remove the egg from the graduated cylinder.

Examine the results.

Pour out the vinegar and give your egg a gentle rinse. You can try bouncing the egg. Also take time to look for the yolk inside.

Break the egg.

After you’re done examining the egg, try breaking it to find the yolk. This will also help you find the egg’s membrane.

What does the Egg and Vinegar Experiment teach?

This experiment teaches several important scientific concepts:

Students learn about the movement of water molecules across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. In this case, water moves from the vinegar solution into the egg.

Chemical reactions

Students observe a chemical reaction between calcium carbonate (present in the eggshell) and acetic acid (present in the vinegar), leading to the dissolution of the eggshell.

Structure and function

By removing the eggshell, students can observe the structure and function of the egg’s semi-permeable membrane, which allows certain molecules to pass through while restricting others.

Experimental procedure

Students gain experience in following a step-by-step experimental procedure, making observations, and drawing conclusions based on their observations.

Can this experiment be done for a science fair?

Absolutely! The Egg and Vinegar Experiment is not only educational but also visually captivating, making it an excellent choice for a science fair project. Students can explore variations of the experiment by changing variables such as the concentration of vinegar, the duration of immersion, or the temperature of the vinegar solution. Additionally, they can research the scientific principles behind the experiment and present their findings in a clear and engaging manner. Overall, this experiment offers a hands-on opportunity for students to learn about osmosis and chemical reactions while showcasing their creativity and scientific inquiry skills at a science fair.

Get your free Egg and Vinegar Experiment recording sheet:

Just fill out the form on this page to get instant access to your free, printable Egg and Vinegar Experiment recording sheet.

Looking for more science experiment ideas? Check out our  big list of experiment ideas here.

Plus, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters  for more articles like this., you might also like.

Free 2nd Grade Morning Work Bundle, Just for Subscribers of Our 2nd Grade Newsletter!

Get ideas for teaching 2nd grade all year long, PLUS an exclusive bundle of morning work pages. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

• Science Notes Posts
• Contact Science Notes
• Todd Helmenstine Biography
• Anne Helmenstine Biography
• Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)
• Periodic Table Wallpapers
• Interactive Periodic Table
• Periodic Table Posters
• Science Experiments for Kids
• How to Grow Crystals
• Chemistry Projects
• Fire and Flames Projects
• Holiday Science
• Chemistry Problems With Answers
• Physics Problems
• Unit Conversion Example Problems
• Chemistry Worksheets
• Biology Worksheets
• Periodic Table Worksheets
• Physical Science Worksheets
• Science Lab Worksheets
• My Amazon Books

Egg in Vinegar Experiment – Make a Rubber Egg

The egg in vinegar experiment is a fun way of learning about egg structure, chemical reactions, osmosis, and the scientific method . It’s a safe and non-toxic project, so it’s perfect for young investigators. Other names for the egg in vinegar experiment are the naked egg, rubber egg, or bouncy egg. The “naked” part is easy to understand, because you’re removing the shell from the egg using chemistry. The “rubber” or “bouncy” description implies the egg bounces rather than breaks. Does it work? You be the judge!

The Chemistry of the Egg in Vinegar Experiment

Vinegar contains acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), which is a weak acid . Egg shells are calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). Acetic acid reacts with calcium carbonate, making calcium acetate and carbon dioxide. Here is the balanced chemical equation for the reaction:

2 CH 3 COOH(aq) + CaCO 3 (s) → Ca(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 (aq) + H 2 O(l) + CO 2 (g)

The calcium acetate dissolves in water, while the carbon dioxide is a gas and forms bubbles. So, the egg shell dissolves and bubbles away, leaving a naked egg.

What You Do

All you need for this project is an egg, vinegar, and a cup:

• Cup large enough for the egg
• Food coloring (optional)

Use either a raw egg or hard-boiled egg. The advantage of using a raw egg is that you can see into the inside of the egg when you are done. The advantage of using a hard-boiled egg is that it bounces after pickling in the vinegar. The raw egg bounces a bit too, but if you use too much force it breaks open and makes a mess.

• Place the egg in a cup.
• Pour vinegar over the egg until it is just covered. It’s okay if the egg floats a bit. If you like, add a few drops of food coloring. After about 15 minutes, observe the bubbles forming around the egg. The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas. They form from the chemical reaction between the acetic acid in the vinegar and the calcium carbonate of the egg shell. You may also feel that the cup is slightly warm. The reaction is exothermic, meaning it gives off heat. The bubbles and temperature change are two signs of a chemical change .
• Wait a day. Also note that the liquid becomes cloudy or scummy. This is the dissolving egg shell.
• If you remove the egg after 1 day, use a spoon. Otherwise, a raw egg easily ruptures. At this point, if you remove the egg, you can easily rinse away any remaining shell. But, you get better results if you pour off the liquid and add fresh vinegar. This is especially true if you want a rubber egg or bouncy egg. Wait another day or two, giving the vinegar time to get all the way into the egg.
• Remove the egg and rinse it off using water.

Why Rotten Eggs Float in Water

Learn the scientific reason why bad eggs float in water, while good eggs sink.

Science Experiments to Try

Now that you have a rubber egg, what do you do with it?

• Examine the internal structure of the egg. This only works if you started with a raw egg and not a hard-boiled one. Identify the egg membrane, yolk, egg white (albumin), and chalaza.
• Compare the egg without its shell to a normal egg. Notice that the egg soaked in vinegar is slightly larger than the egg with its shell. Why is this? The reason is because water entered the rubber egg via osmosis . The concentration of salts, proteins, and other molecules inside the egg is greater than the concentration in the cup. The egg membrane is semipermeable. It allows the movement of water, but not larger molecules. So, the egg swells with water to try to dilute the inside of the egg so it has the same concentration and outside of the egg. Experiment : Predict what happens if you soak the rubber egg in corn syrup, salt water, or sugar water. Compare the size of this egg with a normal egg and a rubber egg. Corn syrup, salt water, or sugar water shrink the egg because the liquid is more concentrated the interior of the egg. Here, water leaves the egg via osmosis.
• Try bouncing the egg. In addition to dissolving the egg shell, vinegar also pickles the egg. It changes the conformation of protein molecules in the egg white. Because vinegar has a low pH, it also helps preserve the egg. Experiment : Compare how well a rubber egg bounces depending on whether you started with a raw egg or hard-boiled egg.

Can You Eat the Egg?

Eating an egg after soaking it in vinegar is not a great plan. First, it won’t taste great. Second, it could make you sick. If you must eat your experiment, soak a hard-boiled egg in vinegar in the refrigerator for a few days.

Does the Egg in Vinegar Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

Mostly, the egg comes out of this project smelling like vinegar. Vinegar pickles the egg, which preserves it. But, once you remove the egg from vinegar it starts decomposing. After enough time, if you break the egg, it will stink. The odor comes from hydrogen sulfide gas, which is a product of the decomposition reactions in the egg.

Of course, if you start the project with a rotten egg, all bets are off. Rupturing the membrane releases any trapped gases. Bounce these egg with care!

Related Posts

Enter your email to download PDF and receive updates from OSMO

Scan to get started.

The Assessment App is available only on the Apple App Store . Please scan the QR code below with your iPhone device to download the app.

Egg In Vinegar Experiment

Have you ever heard of a rubber egg or a naked egg? Do you think eggs can bounce? How does an egg become naked and what happens to its shell? Find out by performing this simple egg in vinegar experiment. The chemical reactions between acids and bases are quite difficult for kids to grasp. But the egg in vinegar experiment makes it easier for kids to understand acid-base reactions and osmosis.

Download Egg in Vinegar Experiment Printable

Conducting simple science experiments for kids at home is a great way to keep children engaged in learning science concepts.

Here is a step-by-step guide to do the egg in vinegar experiment with your kids:

• What You Need For The Egg In Vinegar Experiment

Steps To Set-Up The Egg in Vinegar Experiment

Egg in vinegar experiment results, the science behind the egg in vinegar experiment.

• What else do you observe in this egg in vinegar experiment?

Conduct An Interactive Session With Your Kid After The Naked Egg Experiment

What you need for the egg in vinegar experiment .

The egg in vinegar experiment is a very simple experiment that only needs three materials. All of these are easily available and inexpensive too.  

• Red, blue and green food coloring
• 3 mason jars or any clear, glass jar

And you need a lot of patience because the egg in vinegar experiment takes a lot of time, a week to be exact.

Follow these steps to perform the rubber egg experiment:

• Step 1: Fill up the three jars with vinegar.
• Step 2: Put 2 drops of red food coloring in the first jar. Add 2 drops of blue food coloring to the second jar and 2 drops of green food coloring to the third jar. Cover and shake the jar to ensure the food color is completely mixed with the vinegar.
• Step 3: To make rubber eggs using the egg in vinegar experiment, carefully place an egg in each of the 3 jars.
• Step 4: Wait patiently. After some time, you’ll notice bubbles forming on the eggshell. This happens because the acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell. This reaction produces a gas called carbon dioxide.
• Step 5: After 2 days, remove the eggs from the colored vinegar solution. It might have a thin layer of brown scum on it, just rinse it off under cold water.
• Step 6: Drain the old vinegar and clean the jar. Place the egg back in the jar and fill the jar with vinegar. Leave the jar undisturbed for 1 week.
• Step 7: After 7 days, drain the jar and rinse the egg under cold water. You’ll notice that the hard eggshell is gone and the egg white yolk is surrounded by a thin, rubbery membrane.

As the eggs sit in the vinegar, it gets larger and the eggshell dissolves, making it rubbery and bouncy. You can bend, squeeze and even bounce this rubber egg! 

• What happened to make the egg soft, rubbery and bouncy? Eggshells are made up of a mineral called calcium carbonate. When you add the egg to the vinegar, the acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the eggshell, which is a base. This chemical reaction between the calcium carbonate and the vinegar produces a gas called carbon dioxide ( CO 2 ). This reaction also dissolves the eggshell leaving a soft, squishy, and bouncy rubber egg!
• But, how did the egg get bigger?  As the egg sits in the vinegar, some of the water in the vinegar is absorbed through the egg’s membrane. This process, which is called osmosis occurs to balance the concentration of water on both sides of the membrane. This flow of water through the membrane increased the size of the naked egg.

What Else Do You Observe In This Osmosis Egg Experiment?

The bouncy egg experiment will ensure your kids have a lot of fun. Ask them to see if they can observe anything else in this naked egg experiment. Here are some fun things you can try with the bouncy egg.

• Magic Glowing Egg : Put on a flashlight and hold up the egg to the light. What do you see? You’ll notice that the egg is translucent and glows in the light. 
• How high can it bounce? Ask them to check if they can gently squeeze the egg and see how high they can bounce them. But beware, this could get very messy! 
• Is your bouncy egg needle proof? What happens when you pierce the egg with a needle? Will it burst? Ask your child to perform this particular experiment inside a plastic tub to make cleaning up easier. Ask your child to note down their observations and discuss them.

Why You Should Try The Egg In Vinegar Experiment

Egg in vinegar experiment is a simple and easy experiment for kids to do at home. Eggs are something we use every day. From scrambled eggs, omelets, cookies, and cake to Easter eggs, you’ll find eggs everywhere. And you can use the same egg for an easy science experiment that will blow your kid’s mind! 

Help your child understand the science behind the bouncy egg experiment by asking them some leading questions. Give them a few hints to help them understand the concept.

Here are a few questions to help you get started:

• Does the egg feel hard or soft?
• Do you notice any difference between this egg and a regular egg?
• What do you think happened to the egg when it was covered with vinegar?
• Did you learn anything new from conducting the egg in vinegar experiment?

Learning science should be fun, easy, and exciting. Experiments like the egg in vinegar experiment make learning science a wonderful experience. Boost your little scientist’s learning with simple and fun science experiments.

Frequently Asked Questions on Egg In Vinegar Experiment

What are the materials required for egg in vinegar experiment.

The materials required for Egg In Vinegar Experiment are clear mason jars or any glass clear jar, gree, blue and red food coloring solution, raw eggs, and vinegar.

What do kids learn from Egg In Vinegar Experiment?

Kids learn from the Egg In Vinegar Experiment is about how to make the eggs rubbery and soft. What science is used to make an egg bouncy? And how did the eggs get larger?

Subscribe to Osmo & get

your first purchase

You’ve been subscribed with

Check the welcome mail to download the printables and avail your discount.

Explore our award-winning products for kids learning.

* Offer valid only for 7 days.

Cool Science Experiments Headquarters

Making Science Fun, Easy to Teach and Exciting to Learn!

Science Experiments

Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment – How to Make a Bouncy Egg

Hold on to your eggs because this egg in vinegar science experiment might have your kids bouncing along with these bouncy raw eggs. Kids will discover how a chemical reaction can dissolve what seems solid into something that feels more like a bouncy ball! 

Watch the video, print out the instructions, then try it for yourself. Our simple scientific explanation helps kids see and feel the results of chemical reactions while learning how it works. 

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

• Glass or Jar

Bouncy Egg Science Lab Kit – Only $5

Use our easy Bouncy Egg Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment Instructions

Experiment Setup – Start with some observations about the egg. Explain that it is a raw egg and that that the shell is fragile and can easily be cracked. Demonstrate this with another egg. Then ask some questions. Does it seem possible that we can get the egg to bounce? Next observe the supplies for the experiment. What do you think will happen if you put the egg in vinegar? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then follow the steps below.

Step 1 – Get a raw egg and carefully place it into a glass or jar. Then fill the glass with white vinegar until the egg is completely submerged.

Step 2 – Leave the egg in the glass for 2-3 days. Each day, check back on the egg. Make some observations. Do you notice any changes to the egg? Is anything happening to the vinegar? Write down your observations each day. After about 3 days the egg will start to become translucent and you will know it is ready to move to step 3. 

Step 3 – Carefully remove the egg from the glass and rinse it under some tap water. While rinsing the egg, gently rub the outside of the egg and the white film will come off leaving you with a translucent egg. Examine the egg and make some observations. Does the egg look different from when you started the experiment? Does the egg feel different? Perhaps you notice that it feels rubbery (like a bouncy ball). Write down your observations. 

Step 4 – Over a plate or other container, lift the egg 1-2 inches in the air, let go, and watch it bounce. Make some observations. What happens to the egg? Does it bounce? Is this different than what you expected?

Step 5 – When you are ready for some messy fun, lift the egg a little higher in the air and let it go…SPLAT!

Wondering what caused the egg to bounce? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

Watch the Bouncy Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions

How Does the Bouncy Egg Science Experiment Work

The egg becomes bouncy as a result of a chemical reaction between the eggshell and the vinegar. The eggshell of a chicken egg is made of calcium carbonate, and vinegar is a weak acid. If you’ve ever mixed baking soda and vinegar together, you know the violent reaction that results. The calcium carbonate that makes up the eggshell will react with the vinegar the same way baking soda reacts with vinegar (just a lot less violently). You know the vinegar and calcium carbonate of the eggshell are reacting because of the small bubbles that form around the egg when it is placed in the vinegar. These small bubbles are carbon dioxide gas, which are the result of the reaction between calcium carbonate and vinegar.

Once the shell of the egg is gone, all that is left covering the egg is a thin membrane. The vinegar begins working on the egg’s membrane. The membrane of a chicken egg is selectively permeable . The vinegar is able to cross the selectively permeable membrane of the egg through osmosis . The vinegar toughens up the membrane of the egg making it bouncy!

The selectively permeable membrane of the egg means that some substances can pass through the membrane while others cannot. Osmosis is the diffusion of solvent molecules through a selectively permeable membrane.

Other Ideas to Try

Try other acids like lemon juice. Does it have the same effect on the eggshell? Try other types of eggs – white vs. brown shells, regular vs. organic eggs, maybe you can even find some unusual egg types at your local grocery store to experiment with (turkey, duck, quail eggs).

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Bouncy Egg Science Experiment

Instructions.

• Get a raw egg and carefully place it into a glass or jar. Then fill the glass with white vinegar until the egg is completely submerged.
• Leave the egg in the glass for 2-3 days. Each day, check back on the egg. Make some observations. Do you notice any changes to the egg? Is anything happening to the vinegar? Write down your observations each day. After about 3 days the egg will start to become translucent and you will know it is ready to move to step 3. 
• Carefully remove the egg from the glass and rinse it under some tap water. While rinsing the egg, gently rub the outside of the egg and the white film will come off leaving you with a translucent egg. Examine the egg and make some observations. Does the egg look different from when you started the experiment? Does the egg feel different? Perhaps you notice that it feels rubbery (like a bouncy ball). Write down your observations. 
• Over a plate or other container, lift the egg 1-2 inches in the air, let go, and watch it bounce. Make some observations. What happens to the egg? Does it bounce? Is this different than what you expected?
• When you are ready for some messy fun, lift the egg a little higher in the air and let it go…SPLAT!

Reader Interactions

October 8, 2017 at 5:08 pm

this website was extremely helpful

December 13, 2017 at 8:42 am

January 28, 2018 at 3:22 am

How long should I wait accurately to turn the egg bouncy

March 13, 2018 at 11:54 pm

You need to wait at a minimum of two days before bouncing the egg.

October 1, 2018 at 8:17 pm

Hi you have to wait for a maximum of 1-3 days till it bounces.

December 5, 2018 at 12:18 am

April 18, 2018 at 9:55 am

thank you for this useful information guys. always fun to get my hands messy and do a science experiment with with reuban and max 🙂

May 16, 2018 at 6:09 pm

my daughter did this for her science fair project and she left it in for 24 hours and it was perfect

November 12, 2018 at 8:47 pm

We think the calicium on the egg shell dissolves with the vinegar which is an acid.

Are we correct?

December 18, 2018 at 9:42 am

This is so cool.

January 8, 2019 at 8:22 am

Thanks! It helped me a lot for my science project at school!

January 27, 2020 at 4:13 am

Can you add food colouring? ??

February 3, 2023 at 12:32 pm

Yes you can, when i did this experiment in class we did food coloring and highlighter and we made glow in the dark and colored eggs.

February 25, 2020 at 5:12 pm

The acid from the vinegar made the elasticity in the egg.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Privacy Policy
• Disclosure Policy

Copyright © 2024 · Cool Science Experiments HQ

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Fun with Mama

Toddler and preschool activities

Written by Brenda • Jan 30, 2024 • Leave a Comment

Easy Egg in Vinegar Experiment

One of our favorite science experiments to do at home with kids is the egg in vinegar experiment! This rubber egg science experiment is a lot of fun for kids of all ages and it is a highly visual science experiment that is exciting for kids. Keep reading to learn how to do the experiment and to read about the science behind the egg in vinegar experiment!

Be sure to check out my Fizzy Egg Dyeing Science Experiment – The Best Way To Dye Easter Eggs as well!

Follow along with these directions to learn how to make a rubber egg!

All the details on how to complete the naked egg experiment from start to finish are listed below, including supplies too.

Here is what you need to complete this science experiment:

• Regular eggs (raw white eggs)
• White Vinegar
• Clear cup, mason jars, or other container (plastic or glass will both work)

What happens when you put eggs in vinegar?

This is what this simple experiment is going to show! The combination of the vinegar with the raw eggs and water is nothing sort of “magic”. This is one activity that does an amazing job of combining learning and fun in a way that will keep the kids engaged and ready for more.

Video of the rubber egg experiment

The science behind the naked egg science experiment.

When you place a raw egg in vinegar, the shell will dissolve overnight, exposing the membrane of the egg and the yellow yolk inside the egg.

The shell dissolves because of the acidic nature of the vinegar which triggers a chemical reaction with the shell of the egg.

Eggshells are made from calcium carbonate, which is a base. The acid in the vinegar (acetic acid) reacts with the calcium and breaks down the eggshell overnight. The acid in the vinegar reacting with the calcium carbonate in the shell produces Carbon Dioxide gas (co2.)

After the shell dissolves, the membrane of the egg remains. This is called a “semipermeable membrane” because the membrane can absorb some water.

Have the kids compare the size of the naked eggs with a shelled egg to see how the membrane absorbed some of the water from the vinegar and became larger.

The flow of water through a semipermeable membrane is called “osmosis.”

Directions for the Egg Soaked in Vinegar Experiment

Place 1-3 eggs in a clear container. Be careful not to crack the eggshell or the experiment might not work properly.

Pour enough vinegar over the eggs to cover them. You can add food coloring to the vinegar if you like.

Place the solution in an out-of-the-way place. While the egg sits in the vinegar some of the water in the vinegar will travel through the egg’s membrane

Check on the eggs in about one hour. You should see bubbles forming on the outside of the shell.

At the end of the day, stir the eggs gently with a spoon to help release the shell from the egg.

The next day, check on the eggs. The shell will appear as scum on the top of the vinegar.

Take out the egg and inspect it. You may have to gently rub it to remove the last bit of the shell.

If the shell comes off easily, the egg is ready to inspect. If not, put it back in the vinegar and remove it the following day.

Rinse the egg carefully with cool water to remove any shell residue.

Another variation on how to do the activity:

• Place the egg in vinegar
• After 24 hours change the vinegar. Drain the old vinegar carefully then add the fresh vinegar.
• Place the egg in vinegar in the refrigerator untouched for 7 days. After 7 days, pour off the vinegar, rinse the egg, and the shell will be gone. All you will be left with are naked eggs.

Inspect the egg under bright lighting to see the parts of the egg. Gently squeeze the egg to test the strength of the membrane!

The kids will love this rubber egg experiment! We also refer to this as our bouncy egg experiment because it does have a little bit of bounce to it, too!

What to do with the rubber egg

Do a bouncing eggs chemistry experiment. Can your rubber egg bounce?

Try placing your naked egg in a glass filled with corn syrup. The egg will shrivel up. The reason for this is that corn syrup has a lower concentration of water than the egg does. The water in the egg moves through the membrane into the corn syrup in order to equalize the water concentration levels on both sides.

Fun Ideas To Extend this Rubber Egg Activity

The fun part about creating science at home is that you can easily try out other hypotheses and ideas. Use this STEM activity as a way to get the kids to think outside the box. Talk to them about what they think is going to happen if other liquids are used and have them write out their thoughts.

Even if you don’t actually do the activity, this will show them the process of how a scientist’s mind works!

I hope you enjoyed this fun science activity. Simple science experiments are a great way to encourage curiosity in children by asking them questions, asking them to make a hypothesis on what will happen and will encourage further exploration.

Brenda MacArthur is a STEM curriculum writer, STEM author, and STEM accessibility advocate. She founded the site STEAMsational.com in 2012 which offers hands-on STEM activities for kids and STEM lesson plans for teachers.

View all posts from this author

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Get easy and instant access to ALL of our printable activities and resources by joining the Fun With Mama printables club.

Get all the details and join here.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Have you grabbed the latest FREE printables?

Egg Experiment with Vinegar and Two Cool Twists

Sharing is caring!

An Egg Experiment with Vinegar and Two  Surprise Ingredients

If you are looking for a dental health activity or a chemistry experiment that will REALLY illustrate chemical reactions, this is it!

This experiment is excellent for helping students understand the chemical reaction that goes on in their mouth. If you’d like to turn this into a dental health unit, we have a 25+ page mini-unit to go with this experiment.

When you add 2 fun variations to the traditional egg experiment with vinegar, the results are fascinating and can be recorded in the free lesson PDF. You may have seen the egg in vinegar experiment and the naked egg that results after 3 to 4 days, but we added two more liquids to the “mix” to take this STEM activity even further. The resulting chemical reactions kick this popular activity up a notch!

If you are studying the human body, the mouth, or dental health, this is egg experiment will help your kids visualize why proper care of their teeth is important.

A customized lab worksheet to go with this experiment is available in a free download (See the email sign-up box below.) You’ll also receive a coloring page and tooth labeling activity sheet.  However, we also have an expanded printable pack for sale. Which includes the free pages and more.

Inside you will find:

• 3 variations of lab worksheets where students record their egg experiment observations. Regardless of learning challenges, reading level, or writing skills, children have options when it comes to journaling what they observed. We want science to be accessible and a time of discovery learning.
• 12 vocabulary word cards
• 12 definition cards
• 12 cards with the words and definitions
• Label the Part of a Tooth Activity
• A chart labeling the parts of a tooth
• Permanent Teeth Chart and Baby Teeth Chart
• Additional flashcard game ideas
• Coloring page

Download the Lesson Printable

Supplies You Will Need for This Egg Vinegar Science Experiment

• 3 plastic containers with lids
• 2 bottles of vinegar or 1 big bottle  Note: Pictured here is a large bottle, you will need to purchase 2 of these or a half-gallon bottle of vinegar.
• 1 bottle of mouth rinse that contains fluoride (I bought ours at the dollar store.)
• 3 eggs, in their shell and uncooked

Get the free lab worksheets. Enter your email below, and we’ll send it right out to you!

 About the Lab Worksheets

If you haven’t downloaded the FREE worksheet that goes with this egg experiment with vinegar, go ahead and put in your email in the box above.

• On the free lab worksheet, note the word “Observation” at the top of each box? Have your child write in the time interval in that space. For example “5 Minute Observation” or “2 Hour Observation”. The time was left blank so you could customize when and how often observations are recorded.
• The Shell Hardness “score” is a 1 to 10 number, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest.

Directions for this Egg Experiment with Vinegar:

• To start, let’s measure the diameter of the egg first. Before putting any of the eggs in liquid, wrap a piece of string around the egg one time, but do not overlap the ends. We want to measure the circumference of the egg. Measure in the middle of the egg. Write down this measurement for all three eggs on the back of the experiment worksheet. (Available below. When you input your email address, we’ll send a copy right out to your inbox.)
• Place one egg in each of 3 containers. One egg is the “control” that we do not immerse in water. It is left untreated. The second and third eggs will be our tests.
• Label one container as “control,” the second container as “fluoride,” and the third container as “soda.”
• Pour the fluoride into the container labeled “fluoride” until the egg is covered.
• Pour the dark soda into the container labeled “soda” until the egg is covered.
• Ask your student what they think will happen? If you have done the traditional egg experiment with vinegar before with your student, ask them what they think might happen differently with this activity.
• Cover the eggs and set them aside for 24 hours. We gently stirred the soda and fluoride egg a few times during the 24 hours to make sure all sides were getting soaked with the rinse and the soda. Yes, soda and fluoride are our two variations on the traditional egg experiment with vinegar. 🙂
• Do check on the eggs after 2 and 6 hours to see if their appearance has changed. If you pick up the eggs at any time, use gloves to protect your hands.
• Write or draw what you see on the worksheet. When the observations are filled in, mark the time interval by writing it next to the word OBSERVATION. Note the softness of each shell. Do be careful not to squeeze the shells to tightly!
• Check again as the schedule permits, with the last observation at 24 hours.
• Move onto Part 2 down below….

About the Lab Worksheets

If you haven’t downloaded the lab worksheets for our “way cool” egg experiment with vinegar , fluoride, and soda, go ahead and do so now. Input your email address below, and we’ll send them right to your inbox.

Part 2 of the Egg Vinegar Experiment (with a Twist!)

• Before starting this part of the experiment, look at the label on the vinegar. What are the contents? Vinegar, which is acetic acid, and water. The presence of water in the vinegar have an interesting effect that we’ll discuss at the end of the experiment.
• After 24 hours, put on the gloves and remove the egg immersed in soda. What do you see? Fill out the lab sheet and label the time as “24 hour” next to the word OBSERVATION.
• Put on the safety glasses and gloves, as you will be handling vinegar. You won’t want to splash it in your eyes.
• Optional: Next, squeeze some toothpaste onto a toothbrush and lightly brush a small area on the soda egg? Are the stains coming off? This is just a fun add-on to the activity to demonstrate, especially to younger children, how brushing our teeth helps remove food particles and SOME discoloration.
• Place each egg in an empty bowl, place its label alongside the bowl.
• Cover each egg entirely with vinegar. What do you see?
• Fill out the lab worksheet.
• Set aside and check at 2,4, 6, 12, and 24 hours (or thereabouts). Put on gloves before touching the eggs each time. Gently pick them up to feel the softness of the shell. Look at both ends of the egg—are they changing at a different rate? Does the fluoride egg disintegrate at a faster or slower rate than the soda-soaked egg? Is there anything different about the coloring of the vinegar? How many bubbles do you see? How does the vinegar look? Is it clear? Anything floating on top. (Parents/Teachers: Encourage your students to use their observation skills throughout this egg experiment and either draw or write what they see.)

• Shine a flashlight through the egg? That membrane covering the egg (once the shell is completely gone) is called the semi-permeable membrane. See below for a discussion about this membrane.
• Complete the lab worksheet.
• Do not discard any of the eggs or vinegar until reading the Further Exploration section below.

At the bottom of this post, check out our video of our rolling egg!

Here is what we observed during our two tests of the egg experiment with vinegar, soda, and fluoride.

Explanation of What Happened in This Egg Experiment with Vinegar

When using this as an activity to promote proper dental hygiene, the eggs represent our teeth. The soda represents the sugar and carbohydrates that can stick to our teeth and cause bacteria to grow on and between our teeth. Fluoride is used to protect our teeth from the bacteria’s effects, but it is not 100 percent protection. We still need to eat healthy foods, brush, floss, and visit our dentist regularly.

The Chemical Explanation of What Happened in the Egg Science Experiment.

Those bubbles on the eggshell are carbon dioxide. They form when the acid in the vinegar, called acetic acid, (which is CH 3 COOH), reacts with the eggshell. The eggshell is made of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). When acetic acid and calcium carbonate mix, they react and create calcium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide.

(For young children you can explain that the vinegar contains acid and the eggshell contains calcium carbonate, and when the two mix a chemical reaction occurs. This chemical reaction causes the eggshell to dissolve until all of the shell is gone.)

For older students, this chemical reaction looks like this:

2 CH 3 COOH + CaCO 3 = Ca(CH 3 COO) 2 + H 2 O + CO 2

Eventually, the acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate in the shell, until all of the shell is gone.

What is left is the semi-permeable membrane surrounding the egg and keeping it together.

 Did the Egg Get Bigger During the Experiment?

Notice how the egg appeared to be bigger after the shell was completely gone? Remember the ingredients list on the bottle of vinegar? It included vinegar and water.

The water in the vinegar moved through the semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the egg and INTO the egg. This is due to a process called osmosis.

Osmosis is the diffusion of water. In osmosis, water moves from a high concentration to a low concentration, and the process does not require energy.

In this case, the water in the vinegar is in a higher concentrate than in the egg, so it moves through the semi-permeable membrane into the egg.  It is a form of passive transport where the water moves into an area of low concentration of water from an area of high concentration of water.

Here are some resources about osmosis:

Osmosis experiment for middle and high school from Life Science Teaching Resources.

Investigating Osmosis Using Gummy Bears

Compare the measurements of the egg diameter at the beginning and the end of the experiment. Was the diameter larger at the end?

Take this Egg Vinegar Science Experiment Further  

Place the eggs in fresh vinegar and check on them in another 24 hours. Try to bounce them slightly on a surface.

Try this again with farm-fresh eggs, organic eggs, eggs of different (natural) colors.

Try apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, does the chemical reaction occur at a different rate? Does the egg shell disintegrate faster or slower?

  Our Personal Results in This Variation on the Traditional Egg Experiment with Vinegar

We have done this egg vinegar experiment several times and each time the soda egg appeared to break down more quickly during the first 2 to 4 hours.  The soda and fluoride egg appeared to be at the same “place” after 18 to 24 hours. We did notice that the soda-soaked egg also cracked more easily when we touched it. Perhaps the ingredients in the soda, specifically the sugar, weakened the shell? However, only the shell cracked, the semi-permeable membrane did not get punctured on any of the eggs.

We also had the soda egg move around after about 8 hours. This was due to the crack in the egg and the chemical reaction between the vinegar, egg shell, and semi-permeable membrane. Check out the video below. We did make a crack in the soda egg when we were checking it after 6 hours. The shell had softened up considerably.

After 24 hours the control egg had the most shell left on it. There was some at one tip of the egg. The soda and fluoride egg were at about the same place. We could wipe off a very thin layer of residual shell.

Get the free lab worksheets. Enter your email below, and we’ll send it right out to you! You may opt to purchase the entire 25-page printable pack for $2.95. Make a dental health study out of this activity with the printable pack. Purchase it here. ==Verify that pop-ups are not blocked on your browser. The worksheets will be in PDF format. When you click the link, a dialogue box will appear to print or save the PDF. If pop-ups are blocked, the file will not open, and the message will not appear.

After enjoying this egg experiment with vinegar, fluoride, and soda, try some other STEM activities involving chemical reactions. Here’s a list of ideas :

Polishing Pennies – ideal for preschool and Kindergarten

Convection Current Experiment

Looking for a unit on the Periodic Table? Check out our lesson

Water Quality Experiment

I hold a master’s degree in child development and early education and am working on a post-baccalaureate in biology. I spent 15 years working for a biotechnology company developing IT systems in DNA testing laboratories across the US. I taught K4 in a private school, homeschooled my children, and have taught on the mission field in southern Asia. For 4 years, I served on our state’s FIRST Lego League tournament Board and served as the Judging Director.  I own thehomeschoolscientist and also write a regular science column for Homeschooling Today Magazine. You’ll also find my writings on the CTCMath blog. Through this site, I have authored over 50 math and science resources.

Bouncy Egg Science with Free Egg in Vinegar Experiment Worksheet

Kids activities.

• Science Experiments
• Kindergarten

Are you tired of ads too?

For a small fee you can get this site – and all the free goodies – 100% ad-free!

Kids are going to love this crazy cool  bouncy egg experimert ! Children will be amazed by this  egg experiment where they will literally dissolve the shell of a raw egg to create a  bouncy egg . This  bouncy egg vinegar project is fun for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade students. Plus our version of this  egg in vinegar experiment has a fun, colorful twist!

• Bouncy Egg Experiment

Have you tried the  egg in vinegar experiment ? This super easy  bouncy egg activity is not only simple to try, but super interesting for kids to explore and investigate. Plus we’ve added a fun, colorful twist to this  egg experiment , sometimes called the  naked egg , which makes this  easter activity for kids  extra engaging and fun for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4 students! Don’t miss this  bouncy egg experiment as it makes outrageously FUN and memorable spring activities for preschoolers.

Egg in vinegar experiment worksheet

For as cool as this spring science experiment is to try, you’d think it was hard…. it’s actually SUPER EASY! Plus this  egg science experiment  uses common supplies you have in your kitchen already!

Materials :

• 7 raw eggs (no hard boiling!)
• food coloring (to add a colorful twist to this classic science experiment)
• small containers to hold vinegar, food coloring, and one egg (the ones for egg dying work really well)

Bouncy egg experiment worksheet

Start by pouring 1 cup of white vinegar into a glass or jar. Add food coloring and mix. Now, carefully put a raw egg into a the colored vinegar.

Bouncing egg experiment worksheet

Make sure the egg is completely covered with a little extra at te top as eggs swell during this experiment. Repeat with as many  colors of  naked eggs as you’d like to make.

HINT: You may want to leave one without food colorig so kids can see what an egg looks like without the shell!

Rubber egg experiment worksheet

Leave the eggs in the mixture for 3 days. The eggs will become transluscent.

Egg in vinegar experiment

Carefully remove the egg from the glass and rinse each under some tap water. While rinsing the egg, gently rub the outside of the egg and the white film will come off leaving you with a translucent egg.  Show children how the shell is missing and all you are left with is the egg, but why does it not fall apart? Have them make some observations and hypothesis.

Egg and vinegar experiment

So if the egg no longer has a shell but is not flat like a cracked egg…. what will happen when you drop the egg? Over a plate or other container, lift the egg 1-2 inches in the air, let go, and watch it bounce.

Bouncing egg experiment

After kids have had a chance to investigate how the egg bounces ask them what they think will happen if you life the egg higher off the surface and drop it. Will it still bounce? Now lift the egg a little higher in the air and let it go…SPLAT!

Bouncy Egg Experiment Explanation

So why does a raw egg bounce after it’s shell has been removed with vinegar? An egg shell is made of calcium carbonate. If you soak an  egg  in  vinegar,  the eggshell will absorb the vinedar (an acid) through it’s pourous shell and it will begin to break down and dissolve the shell.

The calcium carbonate becomes carbon dioxide gas, which will go into the air. The egg is held together by a soft tissue that lined the inside of the eggshell. (Interestingly, when an egg comes out of a hen, the shell is the last part to be added, but it still holds together as an egg because of the soft tissue.) The cool part, shen dropped carefully from a minimal distance the naked egg  will  bounce !

Egg Vinegar Experiment

You can explain to kids that the soft tissue membrane is selectively permeable. This means that it lets some molecules move through it and blocks out other molecules. Water moves through the membrane easily, but protein cannot. Thi phenomena can been in the experiment because the egg white is colored – the food coloring permiated the membrane to color the egg white!

Egg Experiments

• Easy Floating Egg Experiment
• Amazing Egg in a Bottle Science Experiment
• Fun Egg Drop Project
• EASY Egg geode experiment for kids of all ages!
• Outrageously cool Bouncy Egg Experiment
• Egg Experiment – Silly Spring Activities for Kids

Spring Science Ideas

Spring is the perfect time to study plants for kids ! Here are some fun plant experiments to learn more about photosynthesis, pollination, capillary action, and more!

• Potato Maze – Summer STEM Activity for Kids
• Water pollution experiment for preschool Science Expeirment
• Simple Geranium Photosynthesis Experiment for Kids
• How to regrow celery in water with celery experiment worksheet
• Flower dye experiment Science Experiment for kids
• Color Changing Food Coloring Flower Experiment worksheet  learning about capillar action
• Free Printable Seasons Worksheets w/ Free 4 Season Printables
• EPIC Lego Water Cycle Model for Kids
• Large Printable Weather Unit for kids
• Rain  Cloud for Kids experiment and free worksheet
• Water Cycle for Kids Printable Book
• Bouncy Egg in vinegar experiment worksheet
• How to Grow Rainbow Crystals EASILY at Home –  Spring Science  Activity
• Rainbow in a Jar  Density Experiments
• Simply  Rainbow Density Experiment  for springtime
• Delicious  Rainbow Stem  scienc with jelly beans
• Frozen Erruptions – Rainbow Science Activities for Preschoolers

Looking for more fun kids activities and other ideas to keep kids engaged, learning, and having fun? Check out these:

• Scented, Watermelon Playdough Recipe for summer
• EASY Pool Noodle Race Track for Kids
• Baking Soda Clay
• Amazing Baking Soda Slime
• Edible Peanut Butter Playdough
• 30 Homemade Bird Feeders to make
• Pop rocks and soda experiment
• EPIC Water Balloon Painting Activities
• Simple Popsicle Stick Catapult project for kids
• 100+ Zoo Animal Crafts
• Summer STEM Ice Boat Races
• Easy Marshmallow Shooter
• Vibrant Sidewalk Chalk Paint
• 25+ Water Balloon Games for Summer fun
• Epic Squirt Gun Painting
• Van Gogh Starry Night Aluminum Foil Art Project
• Our favorite 2 ingredient slime is great for any time of the year!

Things to Do with Kids

• Shape Recognition Activity for Kids
• Rainbow Painting with Cars
• Grass Head Summer Activity for Kids
• Printable Lego Activities for Kids
• Silly Bouncy Egg
• Fun-to-Make DIY Foosball Table – Stem Project for kids
• Easy Sand Volcano with NO clean-up
• Mind-Blowing Magnetic Slime
• Strawberry Scented Jello Playdough Recipe
• Snake Bubble s
• Beautiful Capillary Action Experiment
• Puffy Paint Recipes and Projects for Kids
• Kool Aid Watermelon Playdough
• LOTS of Fun Sidewalk Chalk Games
• 75+ Free Printable Scavenger Hunts for Kids

Summer Science

There are so many fun ways to play and teach kids about chemical reactions using a baking soda and vinegar reaction. Here are some of our favorite baking soda and vinegar activities.

• 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF! Rocket Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment
• Lemon Volcano are an EPIC Summer Experiment for Kids
• Mentos and Soda Experiment
• Outrageous Leak Proof Bag Science Experiments for Kids
• Heat Sensitivie Color Changing Slime Recipe
• 100 Exciting Year-Round Science Experiments for Kids
• Rainbow Activities for Preschoolers
• How to Make a Newton’s Cradle Science Expeirment

Egg and vinegar experiment worksheet

By using resources from my site you agree to the following:

• You may print as many copies as you ‘d like to use in your classroom, home, or public library.
• Please share by linking to this page. This product may NOT be sold, hosted, reproduced, or stored on any other site (including blog, Facebook, Dropbox, 4sShared, Mediafire, email, etc.)
• All materials provided are copyright protected. Please see  Terms of Use .
• I offer free printables to bless my readers AND to provide for my family. Your frequent visits to my blog & support purchasing through affiliates links and ads keep the lights on so to speak. Thanks you!

>>   Egg Experiment Worksheet  <<

Beth Gorden

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! She has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids ABCs, science, English grammar, history, math, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables – www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com. Beth studied at the University of Northwestern where she got a double major to make her effective at teaching children while making education FUN!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Eggs are often thought of as delicate and fragile, but this activity will show that with a simple chemical reaction we can give them a bit of bounce.

Printable downloads

Follow these steps….

Think and talk about…

• What can you see happening?
• Did you see any bubbles appearing?
• Why do you think changing the vinegar halfway helps to speed up the process?

Investigate…

• What happens if you give the egg a gentle squeeze?
• How high can you drop the egg from before it breaks?
• What happens if you put the naked egg into other liquids? Try putting it in water or golden syrup and see what happens.

What’s the science?

This membrane is surprisingly strong, and the egg can be dropped from a small height without damaging it: it can bounce.

The membrane is ‘semipermeable’: water can pass through it, but substances dissolved in the water cannot. When the egg is immersed in golden syrup, a strong sugar solution, water leaks out of it.

Science in your world

Related resources

Oozing oobleck

Oobleck: solid or liquid?

Can you make milk move without touching it?

Blow-up balloon

Can you blow up a balloon without using your mouth?

Instant Ice Cream

Explore states of matter in the tastiest way – by turning milk into ice cream instantly!

The Joy of Teaching

Sharing creative ideas and lessons to help children learn.

An Egg-cellent Science Experiment

March 18, 2015 by Evan-Moor | 0 comments

This stimulating egg and vinegar experiment reveals what happens when an egg is left to soak in vinegar for a period of two days.

What Happens?

By soaking eggs in vinegar, a chemical reaction between the calcium carbonate shell and the acidity of vinegar is visible as small air bubbles appear and a white frothy layer covers the egg. After one day, you can take the egg out and gently rub away some of the calcium that has dissolved, and it should feel light and powdery. At this stage, the egg and vinegar experiment is only halfway complete.

To continue the dissolving process, just put the egg back into the vinegar and wait another day to see the naked egg. Egg membrane is permeable, and it will seem swollen, because water has seeped past the membrane.

Make It a Learning Experience!

• Studying the scientific method can be a great way to make the most of an activity:
• Ask a question: what are you looking for?
• Make some predictions: what do you think will happen in the process?
• Walk through the experiment process: go through each step, including any extra tasks like hand washing, cleanup, etc.
• Make observations: these can be notes or drawings.
• Talk about what happened: were your predictions correct? If not, why not?
• More helpful tips include doing background research to answer any questions that come up, and having all supplies at hand and ready for use.

Helpful Resources

For even more fun, try an egg-bouncing contest! Have students start an inch away from a surface, and watch the egg bounce without breaking. Keep trying, rising an additional inch from the surface each time to find out how strong eggs really are. Or bounce the egg on different surfaces and document the different results.

Contributing Writer

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Subscribe Today!

Sign-up for education inspiration for PreK–8 teachers and parents.

Email address:

Grade Level Pre-K Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade +

I am a ... Teacher Homeschooler Parent School Admin Other

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive emails from Evan-Moor. You can unsubscribe at any time by using the Unsubscribe link found at the bottom of every email.

Science Project Ideas

Egg in Vinegar Experiment

The egg in vinegar experiment, though pretty simple, gives your child the foundation knowledge on reactions between acids and bases. It goes on to change the chemical composition of an egg, making it rubbery on being dipped in vinegar for a few days. There are minor changes in the size of the egg too which can be measured over the period and plotted in a graph.

Rubber Egg Science Project

On soaking an egg in vinegar, the liquid dissolves its hard shell while exposing the thin membrane that is the only thing that holds the egg yolk and white.

• White vinegar
• A clear jar or tall glass
• A big spoon
• Place the egg in the jar or glass such that it does not touch the walls of the container.
• Pour vinegar so as to cover the egg completely.
• Watch the egg closely. You should see bubbles forming on its surface. Note down your observations.
• Let the egg soak in the vinegar for one day.
• Use the spoon to scoop out the egg from the vinegar. You need to be very careful while doing this as the shell should already be partially dissolved by this time, leaving the egg tender.
• Now pour out the old vinegar, put the egg back in the container and cover it with fresh vinegar.
• Let the arrangement sit for another week.
• Scoop out the egg and rinse it carefully.
• Now you are left with an egg without a shell. Though it still looks like an egg, it has a translucent covering membrane that flexes when you squeeze it. If you shake it, you can see the egg yolk sloshing about in the egg white. You can even bounce it gently over hard surfaces.

Things You Can Try

• Perform the experiment on a hardboiled egg
• Try other variations of vinegar such as concentrated or apple cider vinegar. You can also replace vinegar with vinegar and baking soda solution, coke, corn syrup, salt water, tap water, etc. and look for any difference in the results.

Egg and Vinegar Experiment Video

Explanation for the bouncy egg.

Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate (chemical formula CaCO 3 ) while vinegar is acetic acid (chemical formula CH 3 COOH). The two chemically react to separate the calcium and carbonate parts. The calcium ions freely float in the vinegar while the carbonate ions form carbon dioxide that you can see in the form of bubbles.

Since the egg membrane is semi-permeable, it allows some of the vinegar to enter the interiors by osmosis, a process by which molecules of a solvent pass through a semi-permeable membrane to land themselves in a more concentrated solution from a less concentrated one. This makes the egg bigger and more delicate when you handle it. If the membrane ruptures, the insides of the egg will spill into the vinegar.  After the experiment, if you leave the nude egg exposed to air, the atmospheric carbon dioxide reacts with the leftover calcium in the egg to make it regain rigidity after some time.

In the lab, it can also be used as a tool to grow dental health awareness in children. Teachers can explain that a similar reaction occurs when the bacteria sticking to their teeth create acids on reacting with sweets or coke (soda) when they have it. Their enamels get destroyed in the process. The fun yet educative activity has all the ingredients to become a favorite science fair project.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

STEM Little Explorers

Knowing through exploring.

Home » Articles » STEM » STEM Science » How to make bouncy and glowing Egg

How to make bouncy and glowing Egg

What can we do with an egg great omelet for one but did you know that this frail-looking egg is actually very durable  we will show you how to explore its properties and make a fun toy out of it in this cool egg in the vinegar experiment, article contents.

If you are looking for some fun and easy kitchen science experiment, the naked egg experiment is the right one for you. It has a great teaching power and your children will learn a lot about how cells in all living organisms work. All we need is some common kitchen supplies and we will be able to look inside of an egg, see what hides behind that thick shell and play some fun games afterward.

Anatomy of an Egg

The main parts of an egg are a shell, membrane, albumen (egg white) and yolk . 

Eggshell is made primarily out of calcium carbonate crystals (95-97%) which are connected by a protein matrix. That protein matrix gives strength to a shell, without them shell could break apart. Eggshell is protecting an egg from mechanical damage but also bacteria and dust.

The membrane is made out of proteins and it protects the inner part of an egg from bacterial infections. There are actually two membranes: outer and inner and they are surprisingly strong.

Albumen or egg white consists of 40 different proteins in addition to water (90%). Its main purpose is to provide additional nutrition to the embryo as well as protecting it. The yolk is the main source of nutrition for an embryo. It consists of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fat and some water.

The science behind the naked egg experiment

If we soak an egg in vinegar, we will start an acid-base reaction. The acetic acid from vinegar reacts with calcium carbonate (base) from an eggshell. Products of that reaction are calcium acetate, water , and carbon dioxide . 

You can notice bubbles forming on the eggshell surface, that’s the sign of newly created carbon dioxide. After some time, the shell is completely dissolved and all that keeps an egg together are its membranes.

After the hard, outer shell is dissolved, the egg becomes translucent (hence, the name “naked egg”) and when we put an egg on the source of light, it looks like it’s glowing and we can see the yolk inside. All that is keeping the egg together is a thin membrane called a semipermeable membrane.  

This is important for the next side effect of putting the egg in vinegar. You will notice how an egg becomes a little bigger. That is because of some of the water in the vinegar solution (even the strongest household vinegar is made from more than 80% of water) traveled trough the egg semipermeable membrane to equalize the concentration of water inside and outside of the egg. The process of water traveling through a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis and is characteristic of all living beings.

On the other hand, if we put our naked egg into corn syrup, the egg will shrink. That is because corn syrup has a lower concentration of water and water would move from inside of an egg to equalize the water concentration.

If you are interested in watching how we did it, check the video for making the bouncy egg at the start of the article. Or if you prefer reading, continue with step by step instructions below.

Materials needed for naked egg experiment

• Source of light (flashlight, mobile phone)

Instructions for bouncy glowing egg

• Carefully put an egg into a glass.
• Pour vinegar over it, it should cover an egg completely. Instead of vinegar, we can use cola, rubbing alcohol or orange juice since they are acidic enough. They should produce the same effect. Leave it for at least 24h, depending on vinegar strength (9% takes 24h). If the egg is fresh it will probably rise up, so try to rotate it gently using a spoon. 
• After 24h, remove an egg from the solution. Rinse it with water.

Congratulations! You now have a rubbery, transparent egg. This is also commonly called the naked egg.  Experiment with it! How high can it bounce? Can it survive 1m fall? We advise you to do your experiments outside! 🙂

If you put your naked egg on the source of light, you will see a cool glowing egg! In addition to that, you can investigate the anatomy of an egg, since you can see parts of an egg very clearly through the transparent membrane.

What will you develop and learn

• Anatomy of an egg
• Chemical reactions
• Scientific method

Don’t forget to experiment! Discover new things you can do with your egg and keep notes on all your findings. That’s the best way to learn! We would like to hear all about your experiments, so share in a comment.

And if you are interested in more similar STEM activities, check out a simple but great orange density experiment . Also, be sure to check how to demonstrate osmosis with gummy bears and learn about pressure with can crush experiment .

If you’re searching for some great STEM Activities for Kids and Child development tips, you’re in the right place! Check the Categories below to find the right activity for you.

STEM Science

Videos, guides and explanations about STEM Science in a step-by-step way with materials you probably already have at your home. Find new Science ideas.

STEM Technology

Videos, guides and explanations about STEM Technology in a step-by-step way with materials you probably already have at your home. Find new Technology ideas.

STEM Engineering

Videos, guides and explanations about STEM Engineering in a step-by-step way with materials you probably already have at your home. New Engineering ideas!

Videos, guides and explanations about STEM Math in a step-by-step way with materials you probably already have at your home. Find new Mathematics ideas.

Find out all about development psychology topics that you always wanted to know. Here are articles from child psychology and development psychology overall.

First year of Child’s Life

Following a Child’s development every month from its birth. Personal experiences and tips on how to cope with challenges that you will face in parenting.

One thought on “ How to make bouncy and glowing Egg ”

• Pingback: Demonstrate Density with Orange Density Experiment | STEM Little Explorers

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Get Fresh news from STEM fields

I'm not interested in STEM

Check out our Easy Learn to Draw lessons →

Home › Blog › Science Experiments for Kids › Gross! Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment for Kids

Gross! Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment for Kids

Published Feb 15, 2024

Updated May 23, 2024

This easy egg in vinegar science experiment is awesome and uses things that you already have at home. Kids can watch as a chemical reaction magically transforms an ordinary egg into a large naked egg through this egg science project that kids will love. This egg & vinegar experiment works great at home or in the classroom. Let’s make a Naked Egg!

Egg In Vinegar Experiment – Science for Kids

In science lessons, we are learning about the “building blocks of life” – aka Cells. We used this “naked egg” science project so the little scientist were able to identify cell parts by physically seeing, smelling, touching, and even tasting – ewwww! This is the perfect STEM activity for kids full of curiosity.

Egg science projects like this naked egg in vinegar experiment have also been described as a rubber egg, bouncy egg or bouncing egg experiment and can take on different types of exploration based on what lessons are being learned, the age of the kids and the time available to participate.

Related: Simple Machines for Kids : Let’s Make a Pulley & Silly Fake Snot Slime Recipe for Kids…EWWWW!

Related: We had so much fun with this kids science experiment, it is part of our science book: 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments for Kids !

There are a lot of different vinegar science experiments for kids and vinegar science projects, but this is definitely one of our favorites because it is super easy with surprising results and kids can learn about the movement of water through this chemistry experiement.

This article contains affiliate links.

Vinegar Egg Science Experiment

The basics of this egg in vinegar experiment is that distilled vinegar is an acid with a pH around 2.6 based on the type or vinegar and is 5-8% acetic acid in water making it a weak acid which will break down the semi-permeable membrane shell of the egg which is comprised of calcium carbonate and then due to osmosis, the egg absorbs the liquid and will start to swell making it less fragile and a rubbery texture.

Supplies Needed for Rubber Egg Experiment

• Egg – raw egg
• Jar – we used a mason jar but a tall glass would work too
• Tongs or Spoon
• Paper towel – this is a hands on experiment!

How to Make a Naked Egg – Science for Kids

1. place the egg in vinegar.

We took our egg and dropped it lightly into a jar of white vinegar solution (fresh vinegar) with some tongs. You will need enough vinegar to cover the egg(s) completely.

2. What Happens in 15 Minutes

After about 15 min it starts to bubble carbon dioxide gas because the calcium carbonate of the shell of an egg is breaking down. The little bubbles look just like when vinegar is dripped on baking soda.

Tip: To reduce the smell, add a top to your jar.

3. What Happens in 8 Hours

After about 8 hours the egg starts to spin as the gasses are released from the egg shell. It is so pretty to see the dancing egg.

Tip: Find a safe place to let your egg rest without direct sun, large swings in temperature (room temperature is best) or where it would be tipped over.

4. What Happens in 3 Days

After three days, your vinegar experiment will have a completely naked egg! What happened to the hard eggshell?

Parts of the egg shell will crack and dissolve in the acid over a couple of days and all that is left of your shell-less egg is an egg membrane.

Egg Shell Dissolves – Science for Kids

Once your egg has lost its shell, be very careful with it. The thin membrane is very soft and permeable. We actually broke on of the eggs in our experiment during out photo shoot.

The naked egg is so squishy and slimy feeling – your kids will love it! As they hold it, identify the parts of your egg.  The egg’s membrane holds the egg together.

Comparing Results of Egg in Vinegar Experiment

We compared the membrane of the egg for:

• fresh egg or regular egg
• burst naked egg
• egg that was sitting in sugar water

The differences and similarities are astounding. Look at how much bigger the egg is after it absorbed all the fluid. Look at the size of the naked egg!

Anatomy of An Egg: Cell Parts within the Naked Egg

The cell parts we found and identified:

• Nucleus – the command center or the brain of the cell. The cell nucleus is where RNA is replicated.
• Cytoplasm was easy to find, it is the egg white.
• In a chicken egg, the vacuole and Golgi bodies are inside the yolk.

Bouncy Egg Experiment

Take your naked eggs somewhere you can make a mess and systematically drop it onto a solid surface from higher and higher points to see how high your egg bounce is still bouncy and not squashed!

Several kids can work together to measure height for the drop or compete to see which of the bouncy eggs will survive the longest.

Deflating Egg Science Project

For another fascinating experiment, take the next step of placing your naked egg that is swollen with liquid into corn syrup and watch it deflate.

The opposite of osmosis will occur and the liquid will leave the cell, leaving a brownish shriveled egg due to concentration gradients.

So interesting to literally watch what eating too much sugar does to us! You can experiment with different liquids and how the egg swells and deflates depending on the acid-base reaction.

Egg in Vinegar Experiment

This simple naked egg science experiment is an easy egg in vinegar experiment using very simple supplies. Over several days kids will learn about how vinegar which is a weak acid will dissolve the eggshell and leave a rubbery bouncing egg that is swollen through the process of osmosis.

• Jar – we used a mason jar but a tall glass would work too

Instructions

• Place the egg or eggs into a jar or glass and cover with vinegar solution.
• Watch what happens in 15 minutes when the carbon dioxide bubbles start breaking down the eggshell.
• Watch what happens in 8 hours when the egg starts to spin due to the carbon dioxide gasses being released creating a dancing egg.
• Watch what happens in 3 days where the eggshell dissolved fully.
• Inspect your naked egg and do other experiments on the resulting rubber egg to explore science concepts.

Grab Our Science Book for Kids

The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments for Kids is full of easy science play and fun science activities for everyone!  You can pick this book packed with STEM activities at your local bookstore or online

Related: Make a battery train

More Science Activities & Fun from Kids Activities Blog

This naked egg experiment is a great way to for kids to see science at work first hand. For more favorite science experiments for kids , check out these other ideas:

• If your egg is still intact, then check out these egg drop ideas for kids !
• Have you ever tried to break an egg with one hand ?  It is a fun science experiment you can easily do at home!
• Have you ever wondered how to know whether an egg is boiled ?  It can be more science than guess!
• Bacteria experiment ideas for kids
• Did you know you could make egg yolk paint ?
• Have you ever tried the rotten pumpkin science experiment
• Science Experiment with Baking Soda and Vinegar
• Science for Kids: How to Make a Balance
• Check out these fun Dr Seuss science activities for kids
• We have over 50 ideas for scientific games for kids to play and learn science.
• Need science fair project ideas ?  We got ’em!
• You can find more science experiments for kids here <–Over 100 ideas!
• And a whole lot of learning activities for kids here <–Over 500 ideas!
• Make your own little world with this guide to making terrariums !
• Print out this Periodic table for all your scientific endeavors!
• Make muscles with balloons in this experiment !
• Check out this list of simple science experiments !
• Don’t miss out on these exploding paint bombs !
• Learn about the heart with a simple anatomy lesson for kids…
• You have to see this really fun static electricity experiment !

How did your egg in vinegar experiment turn out? Did your kids have patience to wait for eggshell dissolves fully?

Activities For Kindergarteners Activities For Tweens Elementary Age Activities for Kids Family Activities Science Experiments for Kids Science Fair Projects

Welcome to Kids Activities!

My name is Holly Homer & I am the Dallas mom of three boys…

Holly's Favorite Activites

You Might Also Like

Making Our Own Glow Stick

How to Make Your Own DIY LEGO Instruction Book

What Really Happens If You Drop A Penny From The Top Of The Empire State Building? [Video]

Math Games: Water Beads Activity

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Display a Gravatar image next to my comments.

19 Comments

Lots of people shall be benefited out of your writing.

Awesome ideas for kids science.

I actually did this with my kids after a friend brought one she did over during hers she added red food coloring so you could actually see the veins… It also bounced when dropped from 2-3 inches off the counter although the smell is not pleasant it was fun

I’m guessing you use a cooked egg before you drop the egg with the shell on in vinegar?

Superb, my high school students will love trying this as a science project this year.

I can’t wait for my daughter to try this for her science project! So cool!!!

Hi there, I discovered your site by the use of Google for vinegar and egg experiment. So glad I did!

This article is great. Thanks!

Keep in touch

Connect with us on your favorite social network below!

Explore Activities

5 Min Crafts

©2024 Kids Activities Blog. All rights reserved. Disclosure and Privacy Policy • Powered by CultivateWP .

Egg in Vinegar Experiment

Did you know you can study cells by examining eggs? Chicken eggs are essentially one big cell making it much easier to study than the teeny tiny cells that make up our body. With this cells unit study on cells we examined raw eggs to learn about their parts. This was a great introduction into the concept of the cell, but we decided to take our study of the egg up a notch. It was time to do an egg in vinegar experiment and the always fun rubber eggs study.

Naked Egg Experiment and Cell Study

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

To start off our unit study we discussed cells and how they make up all living things. Then it was time to get hands on! We decided to bring some chemistry to our biology lesson and do a simple experiment – the egg in vinegar experiment.

This science experiment has a few names: Rubber Egg Experiment, Bouncy Egg Experiment, Naked Egg Science Experiment or Egg in Vinegar Experiment. No matter what you call it, this is one of our all time favourite simple science experiments. And it pairs perfectly with an egg cell study.

With this experiment we remove the shell of a raw egg with a chemical reaction, leaving us with a naked egg. The inside of this naked egg provides an excellent opportunity to study cells.

Here is a Quick Video Showing the Process

Hands on exploration .

We kicked things off with each child taking an egg and exploring. We encouraged their curiosity as they explored the shell, how fragile the eggshell is, and what it looks like when cracked open.

Surprisingly, we were able to remove some of the shell from one of our eggs revealing the membrane! This made the kids even more excited about our experiment to create naked eggs.

To remove the shell of a raw egg we need to do a little chemistry experiment. For this you will need:

• Eggs (regular eggs are perfect)
• White Vinegar
• Mason Jars (other wide mouth jars or plastic cups work too)
• Food Colouring
• Large plates or bowls

Extra items you may want available for further investigations:

• Magnifying glass
• Kitchen scale
• Fabric tape measure
• Towels or protective covering for the area while exploring with the naked eggs

Start by testing to make sure your eggs will easily fit into (and out once enlarged) easily. I recommend using wide mouth mason jars for at least one of the eggs so kids can really see the reaction. But if you want to do lots of eggs you can do them in large plastic cups or even do big batches in large bowls.

I recommend doing extra eggs. Some may not survive the experiment and even once the shells are removed the membranes are still quite thin and easy to break. Having lots of naked eggs will provide kids with plenty of opportunity to explore and learn with the resulting bouncy, rubbery eggs. 

Set the egg carefully in the container, pour vinegar over the egg until it is submersed. The egg may float, this is OK. Add a little food coloring to the vinegar. Now let it sit for 24 hours.

Bubbles form immediately on the shell as the chemical reaction begins. These carbon dioxide bubbles are formed by the vinegar reacting to the calcium in the egg shell.

After about 24 hours you will end up with foam on top of your vinegar and the remaining liquid is mostly water. You will end up with a foam on top and eventually you will have only liquid water left.

After 24 hours drain off the liquid and replace with fresh vinegar. You can also add more food colouring if you wish. It is very important to replace the vinegar to ensure there is enough acid for the chemical reaction to finish.

Tip – Getting Vibrant Colours

To get really vibrant colours in your Bouncy Eggs, add a few drops of gel food colouring to the initial vinegar soak. Gel colouring is much more intense in colouration. Then let it soak for 24 hours.

We then soaked our eggs in plain vinegar for the second soak. And our eggs came out very saturated in colour.

What is the Chemical Reaction When You Place an Egg in Vinegar? 

Here is the chemical reaction:

CaCO 3 + 2 HC 2 H 3 O 2   →  Ca(C 2 H 3 O 2 )2 + H 2 O + CO 2

To break this down you have:

Egg Shell (Calcium Carbonate) + Vinegar (acetic acid) → Foam Floaties + Liquid Water + Carbon Dioxide Gas Bubbles

The result – naked eggs.

After another 24 hours (2 days in total) your naked eggs should be ready! Carefully drain off the liquid and rinse your eggs under a gentle stream of water.

The membrane of the egg is still quite thin and fragile. So handle with care and do it in a place that is easy to clean!

Studying Naked Eggs

Start by letting the kids handle the eggs. their curiosity should lead them to lots of neat discoveries. Some questions you can ask are:

• What do you notice about the eggs?
• How do the eggs from the vinegar experiment feel compared to eggs still with their shells?
• Can you see anything moving inside? Try holding it up to a light or flashlight.
• How does the size of the naked eggs compare with eggs that have not been through the chemical reaction?

Why does the egg feel rubbery after being in vinegar?

Egg shell is basic and vinegar is an acid. When you place an egg in vinegar it reacts causing the shell to dissolve leaving only the rubbery membrane holding the egg together. If you are lucky enough to get some of the shell off a normal raw egg, you can see the membrane.

Bouncing Eggs

My kids had a great time bouncing eggs in a large bin. As long as you don’t add too much force, you can bounce a raw egg. So cool!

What can you see inside naked eggs?

Hold the eggs up to a flashlight or bright light and move the egg around or gently squeeze it. You should be able to see the yolk and other parts inside the egg floating around.

Why does the egg get bigger in Vinegar?

Did you notice the eggs are larger than before you placed them in the vinegar? This is why we recommend using a wide mouth jar. Otherwise your naked egg could get stuck in the jar! But why does this happen? It’s because of a process called osmosis. Through osmosis some of the liquid (water) moves through the semi-permeable membrane into the egg. It does this until it reaches an equilibrium between the amount of water inside the egg membrane and the surrounding liquid. If it didn’t stop at equilibrium the egg would get so large it would eventually pop! Since there is no hard shell to keep the egg small, it expands and grows.

Learn more about Osmosis with our Rainbow Water Beads Experiment or Gummy Bear Experiment .

Getting Inside – Studying Cells with Eggs

I recommend working over a large bowl or plate as kids explore the eggs. Undoubtedly, some will break. This isn’t the end of the world though, it just means it is time for some new lessons on cells.

If you don’t have any broken eggs take a knife or tooth pick and gently poke the egg to rupture the membrane.

The food dye travels through the membrane into the egg white (this is part of the osmosis process we discussed that also caused the egg to grow), but a special membrane around the yolk stops the dye from traveling into the yolk. This is a great visual for permeability and osmosis.

But closer inspection shows that some very special parts of our egg have taken in quite a lot of the dye. The chalaza, stringy bits on either side of the yolk that help to hold it in place, and the blastodisc, a circle in the middle of the yolk, this is where the sperm enters to fertilize the egg and is the nucleus of the egg (just like a cell!).

Dying the egg makes it much easier to see all these parts of the egg compared to when we just cracked open a raw egg. Now kids can see the cells and structures more clearly.

Digging Deeper Science Activities

This is such a fun experiment, why not take it further with some scientific investigative studies? Answer questions like:

What happens if you let the eggs soak in vinegar for a week instead of only 2 days? Compare the differences.

What happens if you boil the egg before placing it in vinegar?

What can you change in your experiment to make the resulting egg more bouncy and less prone to breaking?

Compare before and after. Take measurements, weights and work out how much the eggs changed during the experiment.

What happens if you take a naked egg and place it in corn syrup? (Tip! The result has to do with the process of osmosis).

Explore osmosis further… What happens if you soak a naked egg in water?

Don’t have time to do all of these experiments? Use your critical thinking skills and lessons learned from this experiment to predict what you think will happen. Create your hypothesis then do some research to see the answer when you have time, either by experimenting yourself or reading about experiments done by others.

Rubber Eggs with a Halloween Twist – Monster Eyes!

Looking for a fun twist on this activity for Halloween? Why not make a bowl of Monster Eyes ! The kids LOVED this Halloween Egg in Vinegar project.

Looking for even more exciting egg science and STEM activities? Why not try:

Creating an Egg Crystal Geode (so gorgeous!)

An Oobleck Egg Drop Challenge

Or check out all of our Egg Science Projects for even more inspiration!

More STEM Activities

Naked Egg – Egg in Vinegar Science Experiment

Learn how to make a rubber egg with this classic chemistry experiment.

• 2 cups Vinegar
• 10 drops Food Colouring

Instructions

Carefully place the egg in the jar using the spoon. Cover the egg with vinegar (about 1 cup, just enough to cover it).

Add 4 or 5 drops of food colouring.

Let sit for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, carefully drain off the liquid.

Cover with fresh vinegar (add a bit more food colouring if you wish).

Let sit for another 24 hours.

Remove from vinegar solution and rinse gently with water.

Play and explore your rubbery, squishy, bouncy, naked eggs!

Bubbles will form while the egg is soaking in the vinegar. This is the chemical reaction taking place that removes the shell of the egg, leaving just the membrane. Encourage your kids to explore their naked, rubber eggs as they learn about chemical reactions and osmosis. Examine the eggs with magnifying glass or flashlight. Try bouncing the eggs on a tray (be prepared, some may break!). Break open the eggs to learn about the parts of cells. Dig deeper by measuring the chemical reaction and exploring how osmosis works. Most of all, have fun with your rubber eggs! Learn more about the chemistry and extension activities in the article. 

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

• STEM Activities /
• Crazy chemistry experiments /

Egg in Vinegar Experiment

Want to see a chemical reaction in action? With this egg in vinegar experiment, we observed and followed a regular egg through a transformation to become a bouncy egg. You can too with just a few repurposed ingredients you may have around the house for Easter!

This experiment allows you to see how two common household materials react — eggshell and vinegar. When these materials come in contact, a (safe) chemical reaction takes place and creates new compounds. This easy experiment is great for children to do on their own, and fun to observe how the egg changes over time.

Want to explore more kitchen science experiments? Explore the tastier side of learning with Science of Cooking: Ice Cream from the KiwiCo Store !

Ages: 5 - 11

Materials you'll need

Step-by-step tutorial.

Carefully put your egg into a jar and fill the jar about three-quarters full with the egg completely submerged in the vinegar.

You should be able to see bubbles form around the egg immediately. Where do you think they come from? Wait 48 to 72 hours. We found it exciting to check in on the egg as we went as the egg grows and changes over time.

After waiting, use a spoon to take out the egg. Carefully rinse it thoroughly under the faucet using warm water.

Your egg is now ready to bounce! Hold your egg about 3 inches from the table and gently let go. If bounced too hard the egg will break. This means you'll get to see the membrane of the egg!

Final result!

Compare your transformed egg to a regular egg. What do you think happened to the eggshell? What other differences can you observe? What's Going On? If you look closely at the egg while it's submerged in the vinegar, you can see bubbles forming on the surface. Those bubbles are full of carbon dioxide, just like the bubbles in a glass of soda. You're seeing a reaction between a compound in the eggshell (calcium carbonate) and an acid in the vinegar (acetic acid). This reaction creates carbon dioxide (and some other things) and breaks down the eggshell in the process. The membrane underneath the shell doesn't react, so it's left behind. Once the shell is completely gone, all that's left is the flexible membrane, giving you a bouncy "rubber" egg!

Get DIYs like this delivered to your inbox!

You might also like, top categories burst graphic, get hands-on projects, delivered.

Water and Sand Sensory Table

$179.95 5.0

Science of Cooking: Ice Cream

Marble Roller Coaster

Chain Reaction Workshop

Lots of Bots! Robotics Bundle (3-Pack)

Domino Machine

Have some materials at home?

Share what you made & tag us at #kiwico .

877-542-5504 877-542-5504

/ Lessons Plans / Science Lesson Plans / Bouncing Eggs In Science Lesson Plan

Bouncing Eggs In Science Lesson Plan

Want to help fellow teachers.

Please help us grow this free resource by submitting your favorite lesson plans.

Lesson Plan #:AELP-CHM000 Submitted by: Rachel Peterson Endorsed by: Don Descy, Mankato State University Date: October 28, 1996

Grade Level(s): Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Subject(s):

• Science/Chemistry

DESCRIPTION : A chicken’s egg is enclosed by a shell that has a high calcium content. If a raw egg (shell still intact) is placed in a glass of vinegar, a reaction (RXN) takes place. The acetic acid in the vinegar will dissolve the eggshell. The reaction will begin immediately when the egg is placed in the vinegar but will not be complete for two or three days. After two or three days, the egg will survive a drop of four to five inches. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: This activity can be used to begin a lesson on states of matter. Be sure to completely cover the eggs with vinegar or hard shell will remain on those areas and quickly break the egg when it is dropped. Leave the eggs soaking in the vinegar for at least three days and be very gentle when removing them from the vinegar.

GOAL: The students will observe the chemical reaction between calcium and vinegar.

CONCEPTS: Students will be able to:

• Set up and observe the chemical reaction between the calcium in a chicken egg to vinegar.
• Test the effects of the chemical reaction by having a bouncing egg contest to see which egg withheld the most bounces.
• Allow each of the children to place a raw egg into a clear plastic cup (this is so that students can observe the chemical reaction on the entire egg)
• Completely cover each of the eggs with vinegar ( it is very important to completely cover the entire shell!)

a) Have students carefully observe the chemical reaction on their egg. b) Keep a running journal on how much shell has disappeared. c) Have students write where the shell has gone and why they feel it disappeared.

*There should be a thick waxy film on the egg.

a) Have entire class watch and record how many times each student’s egg was dropped before breaking.

ASSESSMENT:

• Discuss students’ guesses about the happenings of the egg shell.
• Discuss why one egg survived more drops than others.

*baking soda and fire *baking soda and vinegar

Useful Resource: * Bouncing Eggs: Amazing Science Activities You Can Do At Home, by William R. Wellnitz http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071343830/102-3846259-0049733

Table of Contents

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Egg in vinegar experiment

Resource type.

Diffusion & Cell Membrane Experiment with an Egg - A Science Activity MS-LS1-2

Quick and Easy Science Experiment : Create a Rubber (NAKED) Egg in Your Classroom!

Vinegar Soaked Eggs Experiment and data sheets

HEALTHY TEETH DECAY EXPERIMENT WITH EGG SHELLS

Toothpaste Egg experiment

Bouncy Egg Experiment - Scientific Method

Create a naked egg experiment

Smarty Pants Science: Experiments 1-5

Egg Experiments Packet

Exciting Egg Experiments

Science Experiment Disappearing Egg K-2 Inquiry

Mysteriously Apeeling Egg - Experiment Results and Analysis Worksheet

Distance Learning | Egg Shell Experiment

Teach the Scientific Method with the egg experiment

Science Experiments | Peep Science {Spring Candy Easter Themed}

Egg in a Cup Experiment Collection Set

The Vinegar & Egg Science Experiment (Bouncy Egg Experiment )

Easter Egg -stravaganza: 5 Fun Science Experiments for Kids

Peeps Science: Easter Eggs -periments

20 Mind-Blowing Experiments for Young Scientists

Cells Experiment - Distance Learning Friendly

Easter Egg -cellent Science Experiments Scientific Method Egg Bounce Egg Drop

Egg science experiments

Easter Science Experiments - Easy March Science Activities - Scientific Method

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think