Egg Suspension Science Project

Gathering Your Materials

• Executing an egg suspension experiment that is quick and simple gives you more time and energy to observe and analyze your results. Gather a raw egg, a pitcher of water, a large mixing spoon, a large container of salt, a measuring teaspoon and a tall, clear container such as a jar or cup.

Observing a Suspended Egg

• Once you have your materials ready, proceed with the suspension experiment. Fill the clear container half-full of water and gently lower the egg into it. The egg should sink to the bottom of the container. Add salt to the container, 1 teaspoon at a time, and gently stir until the salt dissolves. Add enough salt until the egg floats up to the water's surface. Once the egg is floating, very slowly pour water over the backside of the mixing spoon into the container. Do not mix the salt water and the fresh water. The egg should eventually sink down a little and remain suspended in the container between the salt and fresh water layers.

Recording Data

• When performing a science experiment, it is important to record your observations so you can make sense of what happened, formulate conclusions and provide a comparison for future experiments. Take note of how much water you began with in the container, the egg's weight, how much salt you had to add to make the egg float and how much fresh water you had to add to the salt water to suspend the egg. Once you organize this data, it is much easier to unearth the meaning behind the project.

Forming Conclusions

• A science experiment means nothing if you don't take the time to understand what happened. An egg sinks in purely fresh water because its weight and mass deem it denser than the water so it exerts no buoyancy. Once enough salt is added, the water becomes denser than the egg and causes it to then become buoyant and float. Once additional fresh water is added, the salt water sinks to the bottom of the container because it is less dense than fresh water. The egg's density lies somewhere in between the fresh water and salt water, resulting in a moderate level of buoyancy and its suspension between the two water layers.