The Disappearing Egg

I started this experiment while over at a friend's house so that her girls could participate. 

I laid out our supplies and we talked about them.  I asked what the girls thought would happen when we poured the vinegar on the Tums.  They suggested it would melt.  I let the oldest girl pour and we all watched as the tums bubbled away.  Froggy made the momma proud by piping up that carbon dioxide was being released.

Next we examined the egg.  They talked about the hard smooth shell. We craked the egg to look more closely at the shell.   And we talked about the job of the shell for the egg.  I explained how their is calcium in the shell that makes it hard.  H.(age 7) piped in that there is also calcium in your bones.

Next we poured the vinegar over the eggs (one for each family).  The girls were so proud of being allowed to pour the vinegar.  Again I asked what they thought would happen.  First guess was float.  I focused them on the shell and they came back almost instantly that it would dissolve.  (See Mom- they are getting something out it). 

We checked on our eggs several times during the day.  We all were thrilled with how the bubbles clung to the egg shell.  We took the egg out at lunch time and passed it around.  The girls loved that they could see the bubbles on the egg even out of the vinegar. They rubbed and decreed it "dirty".  The look in their eyes when they realized that "dirt" was the dissolving shell was fantastic.

 This is the egg at approximately 24 hours.  The shell is completely gone and the egg feels like jello.  It was interesting to note that not only did the shell disappear but the egg swelled as well. It does not show well in the picture but it is a significant increase in size. Froggy needed to touch it so much that she broke it open.

 
I have to admit I am a shameless thief and this idea came lock, stock and barrel from Little Wonder Days. I strongly recommend you go take a look at her experiment since she took much better pictures than I did