Egg Osmosis

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Visitors observe three beakers. One beaker contains an egg immersed in vinegar. Visitors observe carbon dioxide gas escaping from the shell as the calcium carbonate reacts with the vinegar. The other two beakers contain eggs that have undergone the same process until only the inner membrane of the shell is left. One egg is immersed in water and the other in corn syrup. The egg in water swells, while the one in corn syrup shrinks. Visitors learn how osmosis works. They also learn that vinegar can react with the calcium carbonate shell of an egg, dissolving it until all that is left of the shell is the inner membrane.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
1 to 7 days
Learning Time:
Under 5 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 6 - adult
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • One large balloon (8- or 9-in. size)
  • One 125-ml Erlenmeyer Flask
  • H2O (water) (10-15 ml)
  • One hot plate
  • Insulated gloves (general storage)
  • Eggs (eight for one week)
  • Four 400-ml glass beakers
  • Four plastic petri-dish lids (to fit over the beakers)
  • 250 ml corn syrup (keep ½ gal on hand)
  • 250 ml dH2O (deionized water)
  • Vinegar (keep 1 gal on hand)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Chemical Engineering
    • Technology
  • Physical Sciences
    • Energy
      • Energy and Power

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation