How to Make Ghost Eggs
Materials- Raw eggs
- A jar or container
- Tonic water
- Vinegar
- A blacklight- you can use these flashlights or a blacklight fixture. My kids love using the flashlights!
Method
- Begin by carefully placing the desired amount of eggs in a jar.
- You can make one ghost egg or try this experiment with many eggs at a time.
- Fill the jar with roughly equal parts of tonic water and vinegar being sure to fully submerge the eggs.
- I used more vinegar than tonic water to ensure that the desired results would be achieved, but I don't think that it matters too much.
The Experiment
Have kids watch the jar over the next few days and record any changes. What do they think is happening inside the jar? Record their predictions.
- After roughly 48 hours have kids remove the eggs from the jar.
What they will discover are shell-less, ghostly eggs that GLOW!
So cool, right?
But why? Why does the shell disintegrate from the egg, and why do the eggs glow? The answers are in the science!
What happens to the shell?
The shell literally disappears! The egg does not look translucent. It is translucent! The vinegar completely dissolves the eggs shell, leaving only a ghostly membrane behind.
Why does the shell disappear?
The acidity in the vinegar breaks down the outer shell of the egg, but it leaves the eggshell membrane in tact. To read a full, scientific explanation on why the vinegar dissolves the shell of the egg go here.
Why do the eggs glow?
Tonic water is the secret ingredient that gives these eggs their glow, but why? Read more on the science behind how that works here.
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