Childrens Science Experiments - Kids Starting and Stopping, The Spinning Egg

Starting & Stopping Experiment

Spinning Eggs

Materials you will need:

• Two plates
• Hard-boiled egg
• Uncooked (raw) egg

Before you start this experiment, see if you can decide which egg is the raw one and which egg is the hard boiled one. Place the eggs on the two plates and start them spinning at the same time. The egg that continues spinning for the longest time is the hard boiled egg.

Steps for the 1st experiment:

1. Place the uncooked egg on a plate and start it spinning.
2. Touch it lightly with your fingertip to stop the egg spinning.
3. Once the egg stops take your finger away immediately.

What happens to the egg? The shell of the egg actually stops spinning but the inside (yolk and egg white) keeps spinning. Because the inside of the raw egg is a liquid, it makes the egg start to spin again. This force is called inertia.

Steps for the 2nd experiment:

1. Place the hard-boiled egg on a plate and start it spinning.
2. Touch it lightly with your fingertip to stop the egg spinning.
3. Once the egg stops take your finger away immediately.

What happens to the egg? The boiled egg stops spinning because the inside contents of the egg are a solid mass.

Steps for the 3rd experiment:

1. Place both eggs on the plates (one on each plate).
2. Start both eggs spinning at the same time.
3. Place your finger on each egg at the same time to quickly stop them spinning.
4. Let go of both eggs at the same time.

Now you can compare how the hard-boiled egg stops spinning and the raw egg keeps spinning.

Kids Science Experiments - Spinning Egg