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How to Float an Egg in an Experiment

The floating egg experiment is a simple piece of physics used to demonstrate the basic concept of water density to elementary students. The simplicity of the experiment, combined with your explanation of what is happening and why, will give your young learners a clear idea of the fundamental principle of water density. Use this experiment as a springboard to more advanced water density themes.

Things You'll Need

  • Egg
  • Glass of water or graduated cylinder
  • 3 tablespoons salt
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Instructions

    • 1

      Gather your students or audience around a large, flat table so the experiment can be seen by everyone watching.

    • 2

      Fill a regular, tall drinking glass or a graduated cylinder to two-thirds with warm tap water.

    • 3

      Ask your watching audience what they think will happen if you placed a regular egg into the water. Encourage your viewers to raise their hands if they think the egg will float.

    • 4

      Carefully lower the egg into the water. Remove your hands so your audience can observe the egg, which will sink in this condition, though not necessarily to the bottom of the glass.

    • 5

      Remove the egg from the water and place to one side. Add three tablespoons of salt and stir it into the water until the salt is completely dissolved.

    • 6

      Ask your audience for their hypothesis before repeating the egg-lowering process. Observe as the egg floats on the water's surface. Explain that this is occurring because the salt water is denser than regular tap water.

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