Angels4 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 How can you seen inside an egg without cracking the shell? Here is a cool way to remove the outer shell from an egg, but get permission from an adult first. What you need: Clear jar or glass with a wide mouth (to fit the egg inside) Lid or cover for the jar Raw egg Clear vinegar What to do: Place the egg in a jar and fill with enough vinegar to completely cover the egg. Notice the bubbles on the egg. Cover the jar and allow it to react for three to five days, watching for changes in the appearance and number of bubbles on the egg. When the shell is dissolved, rinse carefully under water in the palm of your hand and look at and feel what is left. What happened? The outer shell of the egg is made of calcium carbonate. Vinegar reacts with calcium carbonate to produce carbon dioxide, which is the gas in the bubbles that form on the surface of the egg (like the bubbles in soda pop). As the vinegar dissolves the outer shell, the cell membrane (rubbery layer that surrounds the inside of the egg) is exposed. The membrane lets water in, but does not react to the acid from the vinegar. The yolk and egg white (albumen) stay safe inside the membrane. You now have a “naked” egg. If the membrane lets water in, can it go back out? Can other liquids go through the membrane? Further eggs-periment (to become a true eggs-pert): 1. Put the naked (shell-less) egg into water for one day and observe. How does the size and shape change? 2. After trying water, drain and cover the naked egg in corn syrup and observe. How does the size and shape change? The thin membrane that protects the egg is amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Thanks Mark, that's a great experiment for my grand children to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
