Spinning Eggs

What You Need:

• Raw egg
• Hard-boiled egg
• Frying pan
• Stove
• Spatula
• Forks
• Plate

What You Do:

1. What is the First Law of Motion anyway? Talk to your child about Newton's claim that something that is moving will keep moving unless something else causes it to speed up or slow down. Does this make sense to her?
2. Let your child take the hard-boiled egg and place it on a flat surface like a counter or tabletop.
3. Have her spin the egg.
4. As it spins, tell your child to gently tap the egg.
5. The egg will quickly slow down because her finger interfered with the egg's movement.
6. Now have her try the same little test with a raw egg, spinning and tapping just like before.
7. This time the egg slows down before resuming its original speed. Why did this happen?
8. Explain that the egg keeps moving because the contents of the raw egg are liquid instead of solid. When she tapped the outside of the raw egg, she wasn't interfering with the moving liquid contents. However, tapping the hard-boiled egg—which has solid contents—interferes with the movement of the whole egg.
9. Have your child shake the raw egg. Can she hear the liquid moving inside the shell?
10. Time to take the science to your plate! Let your child carefully peel off the shell of the hard-boiled egg.
11. Help her crack the raw egg over the frying pan.
12. Scramble the egg over low heat on your stove.
13. Put the scrambled eggs and the hard-boiled eggs on a plate.
14. Share the scrumptious treat with your child. Which egg does she like better?