Hooked on Science: Hard-boiled Earth

Materials

• Hard-boiled egg

Instructions

• STEP 1: Peel the shell off the hard-boiled egg. Which layer of the Earth does this part of the egg represent? How do the hydrosphere and biosphere interact with this layer of the Earth?
• STEP 2: The next part of the egg is the white part. Which layer of the Earth does this part of the egg represent?
• STEP 3: The last part of the egg is the yellow part. Which layer of the Earth does this part of the egg represent?

Explanation

The layers that make up the egg are comparable to the layers that make up the Earth. The shell represents the crust. The hydrosphere and the biosphere interact with this layer. Flowing water in the hydrosphere weathers rocks into small pieces, which are eroded and deposited to different locations on Earth. Plants in the biosphere grow in these pieces, known as soil. The white layer of the egg represents the mantle. The yellow part of the egg represents the core.