Is syrup hypotonic to an egg?
Water is known as hypotonic, ie. There is a much higher water concentration in the egg than in the syrup so water will pass in the opposite direction. This means that the egg will shrink in size.
What liquids causes the egg to swell?
This process of water moving through a membrane is called osmosis. Osmosis equalizes – or makes the concentration of water on both sides of the egg membrane the same. This means the egg will swell as the water moves inside and get larger.
What happens to eggs in different liquids?
Orange juice and vinegar both contain acids which react with the calcium carbonate in the eggs to produce carbon dioxide gas. This is why the eggs fizz in those liquids. Over time, this reaction has the effect of destroying the egg shells and leaving behind the inside of the egg.
How do you shrink an egg?
Prick the egg from the water with a fine needle and watch a jet of water shoot out! Put the shrunken egg in water and watch it grow as it reabsorbs the water, this might take a few hours.
Why does vinegar dissolve egg shell?
Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate. If you soak an egg in vinegar the eggshell will absorb the acid and break down, or dissolve. The calcium carbonate will become carbon dioxide gas, which will go into the air.
What can dissolve egg shells?
Place the egg in the glass and submerge with vinegar. Pour enough vinegar (or cola) over the egg until it is completely submerged in the liquid. The chemical reaction between the acetic acid in the cola and the calcium carbonate in the eggshell causes the shell to dissolve.
Why does a naked egg shrink in corn syrup?
Since the egg membrane is semi-permeable, water can move in but proteins cannot move out. If a naked egg is placed in the corn syrup the egg will shrink. To reach equilibrium, osmosis causes the water molecules to move out of the egg and into the corn syrup until both solutions have the same concentration of water.
Which liquid is the most effective at dissolving an eggshell?
Diet coke has a pH of 3.1, orange juice has a pH of 3.5, and vinegar has a pH of 2.5. Even though all 3 of these substances are acids, vinegar is a much stronger acid than diet coke and orange juice. Therefore, it dissolves the eggshell much faster.