Egg Drop Experiment

This section of Science Experiments web site with egg science experiments for middle schoolers is about egg drop experiment or egg in a bottle experiment. The egg drop experiment is among the most popular egg experiments in science experiments classes.

Egg experiments are easy to do and you can do it at home. The following section describes what you need to do to perform an egg drop experiment.

Equipment needed in Egg Drop Experiment

• A cooked egg without the shell
• a bottle with a neck slightly smaller than the egg
• a piece of paper
• a match or candle

Method for the egg in bottle experiment

1. Check that the egg will just fit into the neck of the bottle but will not tall through. The wide necked bottles that are used to serve wine are about right.
2. Screw up the piece of paper and put it into the bottle.
3. Light the paper by using a long candle or dripping a burning match into the bottle.
4. Quickly fit the egg in to the neck of the bottle. Amazingly, the egg will be sucked in to the bottle with a gurgle and a pop.

Warning: ask an adult to help you with the candle or match.

Egg Drop Experiment Result

As the paper burns, it uses up the oxygen in the air. The egg seals the neck of the bottle so that no more air can get in to replace the oxygen. This reduces the air pressure inside the jar and the egg is sucked in. Hence the name egg drop experiment or egg in a bottle experiment.

Egg Drop Experiment