How to Make a Rubber Egg

An ordinary egg can be a great teaching tool.

Kids love to learn from hands-on activities or by watching something change in front of their eyes. Simple fun projects, such as making a rubber egg, can catch a child's imagination while showing him the wonders of science and chemistry principles. Making a rubber egg also offers an educational experience in dental hygiene by comparing the dissolving egg shell to the effects of sugar on tooth enamel.

Things You'll Need

• One egg in the shell
• One glass or plastic clear container
• Vinegar

Instructions

1. Choose a white chicken egg. Size does not matter, however, a large egg is easier to see when observing the changes. Rinse the egg carefully to avoid breaking the shell and allow it to air dry.

2. Fill a clear container with enough white vinegar to submerge the whole egg. Regular glass drinking glasses work well for this project. Plastic containers will be safer if kids are involved - that way if the container slips from small hands, there is no danger of broken glass.

3. Slowly dip the egg into the vinegar, letting go at the same time. Doing it this way keeps the fragile eggshell from cracking as the egg settles into the liquid.

4. Watch the egg for at least a couple days, and up to a week if desired. Watch how the egg changes over time. Note the colors, thickness of the shell, and how the egg that had early floated sinks lower as the vinegar changes the shell.

5. Take notes on the process if the egg is for a school project. The longer the egg remains in the vinegar the more it takes on a rubber-like texture. The acid in the vinegar causes the eggshell to become thin and disappear. The resulting rubber egg is actually the actual egg and its membranes minus the shell.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you are done with the rubber eggs remove it from the vinegar. Turn out all the lights and shine a flashlight underneath the egg. This makes the egg yolk seem to glow as the yolk in the egg shows up very clearly through the membranes.

• Throw the rubber egg away when finished with your project as they are not edible.

References

• Amazing Rubber Egg; The Museum of Life and Science Durham North Carolina
• Newton Ask a Scientist DOE Office of Science; Adstaudt; July 2011

Resources

• This is Bold; Naked Eggs-Cool Science Experiment; May 2011