Terms of UseHow to Make a Bouncy Egg Explore this Article methods 1 Making a Non-Boiled Bouncy Egg 2 Making a Hard Boiled Bouncy Egg Other Sections Questions & Answers Tips and Warnings Things You'll Need Related Articles References Article Summary Author Info
Last Updated: July 26, 2025 Tested
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Looking for an easy science project using a few household items? This simple experiment will turn a regular egg or a hard-boiled egg into a bouncy ball. You can do this with a couple of friends, or your parents, or by yourself. All you need is some vinegar, a container, and an egg or two.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 2:
Making a Non-Boiled Bouncy Egg
1 Get a container of vinegar ready. Find a jar or Tupperware container large enough to fit the egg. Grab a bottle of regular white vinegar and fill the jar or Tupperware container with vinegar. Don't fill it all the way to the brim though, because then putting the egg in will make it overflow.[1]XResearch source
2 Add dye if you want to color your bouncy egg. You can easily make your finished bouncy egg any color you want to by adding food coloring dye to the vinegar. Just add around 10 drops of the dye to the vinegar, or enough to color the whole container of vinegar.
It doesn't have to be filled to the top but it should be filled high enough so that the egg can be completely submerged in vinegar.
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3 Submerge an egg. Get a raw, unboiled egg. Place the raw egg in the vinegar-filled container. Just drop it in from right above the vinegar so the vinegar doesn't splash everywhere. Make sure it is completely submerged.[2]XResearch source
4 Cover the container. Place a lid on your container and leave it somewhere safe but out of the sun. The less sunlight it gets the better, so either put it somewhere dark like a closet, or cover it with something like a kitchen cloth.
5 Wait for the shell of the egg to completely dissolve. This process can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. To be on the safe side, wait three days before continuing.[3]XResearch source
6 Check the egg. Look at the egg through the container every once and a while to check its progress. The egg will turn a transparent color because the eggshell is increasing in thickness. The eggshell will soon dissolve, leaving just a thick strong egg white.[4]XResearch source
The reason shell dissolves is because vinegar is a weak acid. The egg shell is made of calcium carbonate. When the shell meets vinegar, it makes a chemical reaction that turns the calcium carbonate into carbon dioxide, which is what those bubbles in the container are.
7 Remove the egg. Take the egg out of the vinegar carefully. Just reach in and pull it out with your hand. Don't forget to wash your hand afterwards. Place the egg on a couple of paper towels to let it drain.[5]XResearch source
Be extra careful when handling a raw bouncy egg. It will be more fragile than a boiled bouncy egg.
8 Bounce it. Make sure it's dry first. You can speed this up by drying it by hand with a paper towel. Be careful not to drop it from too high of a height, as it can still break and leave a mess. Start with just a few inches, and have cleaning supplies ready![6]XResearch source Advertisement
Method 2 Method 2 of 2:
Making a Hard Boiled Bouncy Egg
1 Hard boil an egg. Put a fresh egg into a pot filled with water. Put the pot on the stove and turn on the heat. Wait for the water to start boiling, then turn off the heat. Let the egg sit in the water for 10 to 20 minutes. Then remove the egg and set it on a paper towel. Do not remove the shell from the egg.
Make sure there's at least an inch of water above the egg when it's in the pot.
2 Get a container of vinegar ready. Find a jar or Tupperware container large enough to fit the egg. Grab a bottle of regular white vinegar and fill the jar or Tupperware container with vinegar. Don't fill it all the way to the brim though, because then putting the egg in will make it overflow.
It doesn't have to be filled to the top but it should be filled high enough so that the egg can be completely submerged in vinegar.
3 Add dye if you want to color your bouncy egg. You can easily make your finished bouncy egg any color you want to by adding food coloring dye to the vinegar. Just add around 10 drops of the dye to the vinegar, or enough to color the whole container of vinegar.
4 Submerge the egg. Place the hard boiled egg in the vinegar-filled container. Just drop it in from right above the vinegar so the vinegar doesn't splash everywhere. Make sure it is completely submerged.
Make sure the egg is cool before submerging it in vinegar.
5 Cover the container. Place a lid on your container and leave it somewhere safe but out of the sun. The less sunlight it gets the better, so either put it somewhere dark like a closet, or cover it with something like a kitchen cloth.
6 Wait for the shell of the egg to completely dissolve. This process can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. To be on the safe side, wait three days before continuing.[7]XResearch source
The reason shell dissolves is because vinegar is a weak acid. The egg shell is made of calcium carbonate. When the shell meets vinegar, it makes a chemical reaction that turns the calcium carbonate into carbon dioxide, which is what those bubbles in the container are.
7 Remove the egg from the vinegar. Now that the shell has been dissolved by the vinegar, you can remove the egg from the container. Just reach in and pull the egg out. Don't forget to wash you hands after.
8 Peel the remaining skin. Handle the egg with care and gently remove any excess skin.
9 Rinse the egg in cold water. Fill a large container with cold water and use your hands to thoroughly rinse the egg off. You just want to make sure you get all the leftover bits of skin and tiny remains of the shell off the egg.
Alternatively, you can rinse the egg by holding it under running water in the sink.
10 Test your new bouncy egg. Wait for the egg to dry, or dry it off with a paper towel, and then bounce it on the counter! Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search Add New Question
Question Why does the egg bounce? Community Answer The egg bounces because the acetic acid inside the vinegar has essentially dissolved the shell. This makes the egg bounce because the membrane is still attached and the "white" of the egg is cooked. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 32 Helpful 128
Question Can the temperature affect the bounciness of a bouncy egg? Community Answer Yes, if the egg is too hot, it will not bounce and can splat all over your table. If it is too cold, it may crack. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 36 Helpful 115
Question How long does the egg last after doing the experiment? Community Answer There is no set length of time, but you should throw it away as soon as it begins to smell. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 31 Helpful 103
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Tips
A hard-boiled egg works best. It doesn't burst and make a big mess, because it is already cooked. An uncooked egg may lead to a splatter. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Do not boil your egg for too long, otherwise it will burst. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
When using a raw egg, try shining a flashlight through the finished bouncy egg! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Things You'll Need
A cooking pot
A container with lid large enough for an egg
Eggs
Regular white vinegar
Food coloring dye (optional)
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Tested by: wikiHow Video Team wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 91 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 312,996 times. 124 votes - 82% Co-authors: 91Updated: July 26, 2025 Views: 312,996Article SummaryX
To make a bouncy egg, start by completely submerging a cool hard-boiled egg in a jar of white vinegar. Next cover the jar, place it out of the sunlight, and wait 24 to 72 hours for the shell to completely dissolve. After you remove the egg from the vinegar, peel the remaining skin off the egg, rinse it in cold water, and bounce away. You can use the same process with an unboiled egg, just be careful when handling a raw bouncy egg as it could break open! For more tips, including how to make a dyed bouncy egg, read on!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Myasia Jackson
Mar 22, 2018
"I will probably try this at home when I get a chance. It will be easy, and I will probably make a video. Thanks, guys!"..." more Rated this article:
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Tested by: wikiHow Video Team Co-authors: 91Updated: July 26, 2025 Views: 312,99682% of readers found this article helpful. 124 votes - 82% Click a star to add your vote
Myasia Jackson
Mar 22, 2018
"I will probably try this at home when I get a chance. It will be easy, and I will probably make a video. Thanks, guys!"..." more Rated this article:
Brandi Burton
Nov 20, 2016
"It was really easy. All I did was grab a egg and some vinegar and waited overnight, and boom, it was perfect!"
Eli Fox
Apr 11, 2018
"I like what it turned out to look like and how you helped people out if they want to do this activity."
April Smith
Apr 29, 2020
"My boys did this as a project for school and they loved it. And so did the other kids!"
Marisol De La Cruz
Nov 1, 2017
"I was so confused before this! This got me third place in the science fair, thanks!" Rated this article: More success stories Hide success stories
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1 Get a container of vinegar ready. Find a jar or Tupperware container large enough to fit the egg. Grab a bottle of regular white vinegar and fill the jar or Tupperware container with vinegar. Don't fill it all the way to the brim though, because then putting the egg in will make it overflow.[1] 
2 Add dye if you want to color your bouncy egg. You can easily make your finished bouncy egg any color you want to by adding food coloring dye to the vinegar. Just add around 10 drops of the dye to the vinegar, or enough to color the whole container of vinegar. 
5 Wait for the shell of the egg to completely dissolve. This process can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. To be on the safe side, wait three days before continuing.[3] 
1 Hard boil an egg. Put a fresh egg into a pot filled with water. Put the pot on the stove and turn on the heat. Wait for the water to start boiling, then turn off the heat. Let the egg sit in the water for 10 to 20 minutes. Then remove the egg and set it on a paper towel. Do not remove the shell from the egg. 
6 Wait for the shell of the egg to completely dissolve. This process can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. To be on the safe side, wait three days before continuing.[7] 
Community Answer The egg bounces because the acetic acid inside the vinegar has essentially dissolved the shell. This makes the egg bounce because the membrane is still attached and the "white" of the egg is cooked. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 32 Helpful 128