demonstrations:egg_spinning_inertia
Egg Spinning Inertia
Materials: ★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required
Categories: Kitchen Chemistry, Motion, Food Science and Nutrition
Alternative titles: Raw vs. Hard-Boiled Egg Spin
Summary
This demonstration uses spinning eggs to show Newton’s First Law of Motion. A raw egg wobbles and briefly continues spinning when touched due to the moving liquid inside, while a hard-boiled egg spins smoothly and stops immediately when touched.
Procedure
- Prepare one hard-boiled egg (cooled to room temperature) and one raw egg.
- Show both eggs to the class, explaining that one is raw and one is cooked.
- Spin both eggs on a table, then briefly touch each one to stop it. The raw egg will start spinning again slightly after being released, while the cooked egg will stop completely.
- Ask students to explain the difference using Newton’s First Law of Motion.
Links
Spinning Eggs | Inertia Demo | Science Experiment - Elearnin:
Egg Experiment to Demonstrate Inertia - Veritasium:
📄 Egg Spinning - Science World: https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/egg-spinning/
Variations
- Try spinning a soft-boiled egg to see how its motion compares.
- Use plastic eggs filled with different materials (sand, rice, water) to mimic different internal states.
- Relate the demo to human balance—how spinning affects the liquid in our inner ears.
Safety Precautions
- Handle raw eggs carefully to avoid spills.
- Wash hands after handling raw eggs to prevent salmonella risk.
- Perform on a smooth, flat surface to avoid breaking the eggs.
Questions to Consider
- How can you tell which egg is raw and which is hard-boiled? (The raw egg wobbles, the hard-boiled egg spins smoothly.)
- What happens inside the raw egg when it spins? (The liquid inside shifts, changing its center of gravity.)
- Why does the raw egg keep spinning after being stopped? (The liquid inside maintains motion due to inertia.)
- Why does the cooked egg stop completely when touched? (Its solid interior moves with the shell, so friction stops it immediately.)
- How does this demonstrate Newton’s First Law of Motion? (Objects in motion stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force; the liquid inside the raw egg resists stopping.)