The next time you crack open some eggs to cook up for breakfast, save the empty eggshells and let your kids try out this fun Spinning Eggshell Experiment!
Find more Egg Experiments For Kids here!
Your kids will be so entertained watching the eggshells spin around in circles on their plate that they won’t even bother asking mom or dad when breakfast is going to be ready!
Spinning Eggshell Experiment
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Supplies Needed:
- Large Glass Plate
- Bowl
- Cup or Glass
- Water
- 1 Raw Egg
Spinning Eggshell on a Plate
- Crack an egg in half and empty it into a bowl.
- Dip the bottom of the eggshells into some water.
- Place an eggshell onto a glass plate.
- Tilt the plate back and forth to make the eggshell spin.
Step 1: Crack Two Eggs in Half And Empty Them Into a Bowl
This experiment always works the best if you are planning on cooking something with eggs.
Since we only need the eggshells for this experiment, you can use the egg white and yolk inside to cook up for breakfast or something.
If you don’t have any use for the eggs at the moment, you can always save the emptied out eggs in a bowl and put in the refrigerator for later.
Just try to crack the egg as close to the middle as possible so that you end up with two halves of the eggshell.
Step 2: Dip The Bottom of The Eggshells Into Some Water
Now fill a cup or a bowl up with some water. Then gently dip the bottom outside edge of the eggshell into the water.
Getting the outside of the eggshell wet with a little water is the secret to making this spinning eggshell experiment work successfully!
Step 3: Place An Eggshell Onto a Glass Plate
After dipping the outside of the eggshell into some water, gently and carefully place it onto a glass plate.
This experiment will work much better on the smooth surface of a glass plate than it will on a the rougher surface of a plastic or paper plate.
Step 4: Tilt The Plate Back And Forth to Make The Eggshell Spin
With half of an eggshell on the plate, you are ready to start having some fun!
Hold the plate with both hands and slowly tilt the plate side to side and back and forth to get the eggshell to start spinning around.
It might take a little bit of practice, but soon you will get the feel for how to tilt the plate just right to keep the eggshell spinning in circles on the plate!
When you get brave enough, add another half eggshell and try to keep two spinning at the same time!
Every now and then a shell might fly off the rim of the plate, but after some practice, you will be able to keep all the shells dancing around on the plate!
How Does a Half Eggshell Spin on a Plate?
This simple, but fun spinning eggshell experiment happens thanks to the adhesion of the water creating a layer between the eggshell and the plate.
Adhesion means that the water molecules are attracted to the eggshell and the plate.
For another cool experiment that teaches about water adhesion, check out this Upside Down Glass of Water Experiment
Adhesion creates a layer of water between the surface of the eggshell and the surface of the plate and reduces the friction between the two surfaces.
At the same time that the water is attracted to the eggshell surface and the plate surface, the water molecules are also attracted to each other in a process called cohesion.
The adhesion of the water to both surfaces reduces the friction between the eggshell and the plate.
But the cohesion between the water molecules on the plate and the water molecules on the eggshell wanting to stick together adds a little bit of resistance.
This delicate tug of war between adhesion and cohesion sends the shell into a spinning and rotating motion on the plate when it is tilted.
Without dipping the eggshell into the water first, the eggshell would contact the smooth plate.
This would make the eggshell slide from one side of the plate to the other when tilted without spinning like it does when water is added.
PIN THIS EXPERIMENT FOR LATER
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