Exploding Egg

Purpose:

    A blown egg is filled with hydrogen gas and then lit with a match. The blue flame burns until the ratio of hydrogen gas to oxygen gas is correct and then the egg blows up.

Materials:

  • Blow an egg. Take a raw egg and put a small hole in both ends using a large pin or fine probe from biology class. Puncture the yolk. Then blow in one hole while the egg contents come out the other hole. This is the hard part.

  • zinc

  • HCl ( 3 M hydrochloric acid)

  • testube with a one hole stopper.

  • about one inch of glass rod with some tubing (4 inches) attached.

Procedure:

  1. Put on goggles, apron and rubber gloves.

  2. Wet the end of the glass tubing and the opening to the one hole stopper. Wrap the glass tubing with paper towel and twist gently to cause the tubing to enter the one hole stopper. Dispose of the paper.

  3. Put the zinc into the testube and cover with hydrochloric acid to a depth of one inch.

  4. Immediately stopper the testube and put the tubing flush to the large, top hole of the egg. Wait until the zinc stops bubbling.

  5. Place the egg on the ring stand with the smallest hole pointing up. Keep the top hole covered until you ready to light it on fire.

  6. Darken the room. Uncover the top of the egg and light it with a match.

  7. At first the egg just burns with a small, blue flame then suddenly a loud explosion occurs and egg shell goes everywhere.

Discussion:

The hydrogen reacts with the oxygen in the air when ignited by a flame. The exothermic reaction that occurs produces water. If this is done in a dark environment a blue flame will be seen.

2 H2 (g) + O2 (g) --> 2 H2O(g)

Back to top

home basic science advanced chemistry