The Transparent Egg

MATERIALS:

1 raw chicken egg

Tall glass

Vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Place the egg in a tall glass and cover the egg with vinegar.

After 24 hours, you will notice the shell is starting to dissolve. There will be some floating particles on top of the bowl. Carefully pour out the old vinegar, and replace it with fresh vinegar.

After 24 more hours have gone by, you will notice that the egg shell will have completely dissolved. Take it out of the bowl and observe.

WHAT HAPPENS:

The vinegar reacts with the egg shell which is made of calcium carbonate.  It breaks the chemical into its calcium and carbon dioxide. You see bubbles which are the carbon dioxide and the floaties in the vinegar are the calcium. 

GO SCIENCE!

Elephant Toothpaste

This is one of my favorite experiments and one of the first ones I ever did.  It is easy and the exothermic reaction is awesome!

MATERIALS:

16 oz empty plastic soda bottle

1/2 cup Hydrogen Peroxide 20 Volume (20-volume is 6% solution, purchased from a beauty supply store)

Squirt of Dawn dish detergent

3-4 drops of food coloring

1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in approximately 2 tablespoons very warm water

Cake pan with 2-inch sides

DIRECTIONS:

1- Pour 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1 squirt of dawn dish detergent, and 3-4 drops of the food coloring of your choice into the empty bottle.

2- Place the bottle onto a pan with higher sides to contact the toothpaste once the reaction has started.

3- Dissolve 1 tsp. yeast into 2 tablespoons warm water

4- Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle and watch the reaction.

WHAT HAPPENS?

The reaction causes foam to form and erupt out of the bottle.  Feel the bottle as it will heat up.  This is called an exothermic reaction.  The yeast makes the peroxide release oxygen faster causing the eruption and the heat. 

Go Science!

Professor Porter's Tools of the Trade- What Every Beginner Scientist Needs

PROFESSOR PORTER RECOMMENDS
Before you can be a good scientist, you need the right kind of tools.  Here is my favorite science kit, perfect for the beginner Scientist.

Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Set

It's available on Amazon and includes: 

1 beaker, magnifying glass, funnel, eye dropper, flask, tweezers, googles, 1 large 6" test tube and stand, and 2 small test tubes and stand.

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