Easy⏱ time2 days$ cost3
Naked Egg (Osmosis)
Dissolve an egg's shell in vinegar, then shrink or swell it to watch osmosis happen.
Start building ↓
Result first
The build
Step 01
Dissolve the shell
Soak the egg in vinegar for 1–2 days.
Step 02
Rinse the membrane
A bouncy, shell-free egg remains.
Step 03
Shrink it
Place it in corn syrup; it deflates.
Step 04
Swell it
Move it to water; it puffs back up.
Working Principle
Water moves across the egg's membrane toward the side with more dissolved stuff, so the egg shrinks in syrup and swells in water — osmosis.
The science behind it
A closer look
Vinegar's acid dissolves the calcium-carbonate shell; the semipermeable membrane then lets water pass but not larger molecules.
Take it further
Variables to test
- 1 Measure mass before and after each soak.
- 2 Try salt water — which way does water flow?
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