Hooked on Science: Rubber egg

What happens when you remove the shell from around an egg? The contents inside ooze out, right? Actually, no. Using a popular ingredient from around the house, you can remove the shell from an egg, which reveals a translucent membrane.

Materials

* 1 uncooked egg

* Tall transparent cup

* Vinegar

Instructions

STEP 1: Place the uncooked egg in the tall transparent cup.

STEP 2: Fill the tall transparent cup half of the way with vinegar.

STEP 3: After 24 hours, carefully remove the uncooked egg from the tall transparent cup and rinse the egg under the facet.

STEP 4: Using your fingers rub the egg until the shell is completely removed from the egg and observe.

Explanation

The vinegar is an acid, which dissolves the eggshell. As the eggshell is dissolved, the invisible membrane hiding under the shell is revealed.

Jason Lindsey is a sscience outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website www.hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments