Eggs in Vinegar Investigation

 Dear Parents,

Before the long weekend, we set up a number of experiments which we'll be investigating the results of this week. Today, we focused on our eggs. Three were placed in vinegar, with different colours of food colouring and one was put in water as a control.

3 vinegar, one control

Investigating the immediate changes

Right away, the texture of the eggs in vinegar changed. Students observed tiny bubbles, and I likened it to our favourite experiment: the volcano. The texture of the eggs was also interesting. "Kinda slimy", one student said.

Today, we took them out of the vinegar and...they bounced.

The first fatality was quick. 

Here's a verbatim account of their investigation:

Oscar: The egg that was in the water is pretty normal
Noah: It's bouncy
Mavilia: It's a ball.
Annalese: It smells yucky and it's really bouncy.
Oscar: Maybe different kinds of vinegars for different colours
Wilson: Are they jelly beans?
Lydia: These colours are food colouring.
Amanda: The one in the water is hard

Lesson learned: bouncing on the table works, but those things are slippy

Justin: If you squish it, it will pop

Emma: The eggs in the vinegar are very stinky and break fast

 Mavilia:  The vinegar changed the colour

 Justin: It feels slimy

 Norah: It smells like soda

 Here are some questions students wrote:

Why is the egg smaller in the water?--Ella-Jane/What happens if we put water into the containers?--Oscar/What happened to the red egg and what happened to the green egg?--Emma/What does the vinegar do to the eggs?--Anna

How did the egg change colours?--Kennedy/How did the eggs get smooth--Linnaea/The vinegar changed the colour--Mavilia/ The egg in the vinegar smelling gross--Justin

Water, vinegar, dinosaur in egg, dinosaur out of egg

At home, you can do this experiment easily, with time and vinegar.

One follow up we may try demonstrates osmosis, by desiccating the pickled eggs in corn syrup. 

Here's a link to some explanations of the processes involved: Shrinking and Growing Eggs

Sincerely, 

Ms. Goegan