Activity Overview
Challenge your friends and family to the task of getting an egg to float in a glass of water. Then, when they are unsuccessful and say that it cannot be done, follow the steps below to do just that. In this puzzling quest, you will use your ability to quickly change the density of the water so that it becomes denser than the egg. The egg will float to the surface almost immediately.
Materials Needed
- One fresh egg
- Water
- A tall clear glass
- Spoon
- 3/4 cup of salt
How to Do It
- Fill your glass halfway with water.
- Challenge a partner to get an egg to float in the water.
- When he or she places an egg in the glass of water, it will sink to the bottom of the glass.
- Now when they say it cannot be done, pour the salt into the glass and stir. Depending on the size of your glass, you may have to remove the egg while you stir and drop it back in.
- As the salt dissolves, the density of the salt water solution increases and becomes denser than the egg, so the egg rises to the top.
