How to Make an Egg That Bounces

Eggs can bounce after sitting in vinegar for several days.

Elementary students can learn about the properties of an egg through a simple science experiment. Beneath an egg's shell is a thin membrane that exists to keep the egg in an oval shape. This membrane is rubbery, which means that students can stretch it and bounce it on a table. The trick is to get rid of the hard shell so that only the membrane and the rest of the egg remain.

Things You'll Need

• Clear plastic cup
• White distilled vinegar
• Egg
• Spoon
• Lint-free cloth

Instructions

1. Fill a clear plastic cup 3/4 of the way full with white distilled vinegar.

2. Lower an egg inside the plastic cup with a spoon. You need to use a raw egg for this experiment, which means you must be careful not to break the egg when placing it in the cup of vinegar.

3. Set the clear plastic cup aside until the hard shell surrounding the egg has disappeared. The acid in the vinegar will take between two to four days to completely dissolve the calcium shell.

4. Remove the egg with the spoon and dry it off with a lint-free cloth. Bounce the egg on a flat surface from a distance of two inches. Continue bouncing the egg from different heights, recording what happens each time.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not place more than one egg in each cup.

References

• Fact Monster: Making Eggs That Bounce
• National Geographic: Eggs-Periments: Squishy Egg