How Can I Tell Boiled Eggs From Regular Eggs?

Hard-boiled eggs look identical to regular eggs.

Mixing up hard-boiled eggs and raw, or "regular" eggs is quite easy, as the outside of an unpainted or uncolored hard-boiled egg looks identical to the outside of a regular egg. Attempting to cook with the egg is not the only way to tell which type of egg you are dealing with. A simple scientific experiment, one that doesn't crack or otherwise ruin the egg, lets you know if the egg has been boiled.

Things You'll Need

• Counter or table

Instructions

1. Place the egg in question on a flat surface, such as a kitchen counter or table. Do so gently to avoid cracking the egg.

2. Put your thumb and index finger on either side of the egg. Any two opposite ends of the egg are fine for this experiment.

3. Spin the egg gently and pay close attention as it turns. An egg that spins freely without wobbling is hard-boiled. A regular egg wobbles a few seconds after spinning.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're unsure, touch one end of the egg after spinning it. A regular egg wobbles toward the end that you touched. A hard-boiled egg continues to spin after being touched.

References

• Science Kids: Raw or Boiled Egg?