The Disappearing Eggshell Experiment

Ask your homeschooler what holds an egg together, and she’ll probably reply with something along the lines of, “The shell. Duh, Mom!”

Turn her world upside down with this fun science experiment that removes the shell from a raw egg, revealing the thin membranes within that hold the remaining contents of the egg together.

What Happened?
Eggshells are largely comprised of calcium carbonate, and vinegar contains about 4% acetic acid. When the two come in contact with one another, they react and release carbon dioxide. The gas can be seen on the surface of the eggshell in the form of small bubbles during the reaction.

Once the reaction is complete, two thin, semi-permeable membranes located just inside the shell remain to hold the innards in place. Because the membranes are semi-permeable, some of the water from the vinegar enters the egg through osmosis during the reaction. Thus, the egg with no shell is slightly larger than the original.