Egg Lab: Osmosis & Diffusion

For three days, our science class made a project for the deep study of osmosis and diffusion. In that study, we were regarded to make an experiment with two eggs. We left the eggs inside the vinegar for 24 hours, so that the shell could come off without ripping the cell membrane of the egg, which would be important in our experiment. On the next day, we chose two solutions to make the experiment, and my group, which was: Emyr, Jae Won, and myself, chose alcohol and corn syrup as solutions. We chose corn syrup and alcohol as solutions because it is completely different liquids, so it would be a good way to compare our results.

For the completion of the experiment, we needed the following materials:

• 2 fresh eggs in their shells
• 100 mL graduated cylinder
• Balance
• Water
• Ruler and String
• Vinegar

The possible solutions for the completion of the experiments are:

• Corn Syrup (50% diluted)
• Alcohol
• Distilled Water
• Salty Water (10% and 20%)

Our prediction was quite simple and accurate. We predicted that the egg with alcohol solution would dilute more than the egg with corn syrup because alcohol has more chemical materials which would make the egg dilute even more. On the other hand, corn syrup is a solution with less chemicals and more sugar, which wouldn't make the egg dilute as much as the egg in the solution with alcohol. As a group, we also predicted that the yolk of the egg in the alcohol solution would be harder and smaller than the egg in the corn syrup solution because of its chemicals, which would harm the egg entirely.

Once the egg's shell came out, we weighed the egg, we measures its circumference, and added 80 mL of our solution for the next 3 days and we recorded it. Once finishing recording for the 3 days, we got the results from another group in our classroom and made an average of each recorded data. The reason we got an average is because maybe we did the experiment wrong, so with the results of other groups would get us a more accurate data table. The results are shown as it follows:

Once we finished recording the results, we also made a graph for a clearer view of the data:

The result is also shown in a 3D graph for a better notion:

Once we finished recording the results, we had an analyzed conclusion. The egg in the alcohol solution is a perfect example of osmosis, because many particles came up together and made that the egg's size and shape would be smaller. Also, the egg became harder as molecules gathered in the same area. The egg in corn syrup solution is a perfect example of diffusion, because molecules mix and the egg does not have a severe decrease in size or shape. With that said, water is part of that process because it is expanded and the yolk has now less water.

The following pictures were taken after breaking both eggs in half. Compare: