EGG FLOATING EXPERIMENT

FUN WITH SCIENCE
EGG FLOATING EXPERIMENT
Materials Required: 
o graduated cylinders, water
o bowls and tablespoons
o eggs (1 per group)
o container of salt (non‐iodized ‐ aka Kosher Salt)
• Preparation: 
o While I provide the eggs, I usually ask the students to bring the salt.
o 2 containers should be enough for one class.
• Introduction: 
o Review the Science Method.
o Discuss the Procedures Step of the Science Method of Inquiry.
ƒ Emphasize the importance of carefully following directions so that the experiments are
perfect repetitions of another.
• Lesson: 
o Question:  How much salt will be needed to increase the density of the water to a point at which the
egg will have a lower density and float?
o Observations / Inferences:  

ƒ Eggs don’t float. 
ƒ Adding mass (salt) to the water will increase its density.
ƒ Objects with less density than water (or a solution) will float.
o Hypothesis:  Students record their hypothesis.
o Procedures:
ƒ Remove egg from solution.
ƒ Completely dissolve a tablespoon of salt into the water.
ƒ Carefully put the egg back into the solution. (observe)
ƒ Repeat until the egg floats.
ƒ Identify the following: 
• What was the independent variable in this experiment?
• What were the dependent variables in this experiment?
• List 3 constants that were a part of this experiment.
o Analyze Data: Students record the number of tablespoons of salt that were used to make the egg
float.
o Conclusions:  
ƒ Students state whether their hypothesis was proved or not proved.
ƒ Students discuss any problems that may have arisen.
ƒ Students write a sentence to discuss another experiment that this process leads them to
want to try.