Here is another great (and easy) experiment to demonstrate chemical reactions!
We’ve been busy at our house with experiments with chemical reactions.
With this experiment, you may find yourself asking, “which came first – the rubber egg or the rubber chicken?” (Hah! – Cheesy joke, I know.)
This one falls at the top of our list of easy science experiments.
You probably already have everything, all the supplies! All you need to create a “rubber egg” is an egg and vinegar.
We used white vinegar, but it would be an interesting experiment to test different types of vinegar. If you decide to test multiple vinegars, be sure to follow the scientific method. (By the way, we have a free scientific method worksheet here!)
Another very interesting way to take this experiment a level further and reinforce the scientific method would be to test the strength of shells of free-range, organic, and non-organic eggs! What’s your hypothesis?
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How to Make a Rubber Egg
When you make an eggshell disappear, what’s left is the membrane below the shell. As you play with the egg, it will feel like a bouncy rubber ball!
The first step is to gently place an egg in a jar or glass.
Next, fill the glass with vinegar until the egg is completely covered.
Within a few minutes, you’ll begin to see bubbles forming on the egg! This is the chemical reaction taking place.
Check back on your egg after 24 hours to observe the results. You should see a layer of bubbles forming at the top of your jar too.
After 48 hours, the eggshell will completely disappear! You can take it out of the vinegar, wash it, and see how it now feels like rubber.
And that’s it. As I said, this is a really easy experiment!
Why does vinegar make an eggshell disappear?
Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate. Acidic acid in the vinegar reacts with the calcium carbonate. When acedic acid and calcium carbonate react they create calcium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide. The bubbles you see on the egg is the carbon dioxide from the chemical reaction.
Pretty cool, right?
In addition to eggshells, you may have other examples of calcium carbonate in your house! Chalk is also primarily made of calcium carbonate. If you submerge chalk in vinegar, you’ll see it disappear too – just like our disappearing egg experiment!
Want to make clouds in a bottle? This is a cool science experiment your kids will get a kick out of. Find the step-by-step instruction right here.