Best Egg and Toothpaste Experiment

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Does toothpaste actually make a difference in protecting your teeth? Can you make an egg bounce? Find out the answers to these questions, and more, with this Egg and Toothpaste Experiment. Use simple household materials for this experiment, while learning about the effects of different foods, and liquids on your teeth. It’s a great experiment to show kids the importance of brushing, while sparking an interest in science!

This egg and toothpaste experiment is a fun, and hands-on experiment that kids can touch and feel when the experiment is done. It is truly fascinating to feel the egg after it has sat in the vinegar for a day!

For more science activities for kids, check out 81+ Easy Science Experiments for Kids filled with lots of hands-on experiments to try at home, or in the classroom. Also check out 45+ STEM Challenges for kids to get kids problem solving and thinking in new and creative ways.

This experiment may also spark an interest in the strength of eggs. Check out another Science Experiments for Kids where kids get to walk on eggs!

egg and toothpaste experiment shows a pinterest pin.

Toothpaste Egg Experiment Materials

You only need a few materials for this experiment and you likely already have most of the materials at home. You will need:

  • Jars (I used six mason jars)
  • Pop (Coke or Pepsi work well).
  • Vinegar
  • Eggs (I used 6)
  • Water
  • Toothpaste (Any kind should work)
  • Paper/Tape for Labels
egg and toothpaste experiment shows materials needed for the activity.

If you want to change any of the jars, and use other liquids, such as juice or only do a few jars that works too! It’s up to you. Different liquids will result in different results, but it’s a great experiment to let kids choose a few ingredients they are curious about.

Make sure the pop you choose is not diet or sugar free. Without the sugar, the experiment will not work the same.

I used mason jars to put the eggs in, but a cup or container will work. If you are able to find clear jars/containers they work best because kids are able to see inside the eggs inside the jars and watch as the chemical reaction take place.

I used six eggs to show the difference between using, and not using toothpaste. However, if you only have one egg I suggest putting it in vinegar for the most fascinating results.

Preparing Your Egg and Toothpaste Experiment

This experiment can be done to learn about the effects of different liquids on the egg shell. Placing toothpaste on the eggs shows the difference this protective coating makes on our teeth.

The shell of an egg is similar to the enamel on our teeth. The toothpaste acts as a protective barrier to keep our teeth strong and white.

egg and toothpaste experiment shows an egg covered in toothpaste.

Step 1 Egg and Toothpaste Experiment

To start, fill two jars 2/3 full of water. Fill two other jars with pop and two jars with vinegar. The jars full of water act as a control group to show a baseline. You don’t have to use the jars filled with water, but it can show kids that not all liquids are bad for their teeth.

Label each of the jars. (Vinegar, Vinegar and Toothpaste, Water, Water and Toothpaste, Pop, Pop and Toothpaste.)

Step 2

Next, rub toothpaste on three of the eggs. Completely cover the eggs.

science for kids shows six jars each filled with different stuff.

Place one egg with toothpaste into the jar with water, one into the jar with vinegar and one in the pop jar. Place one egg, without toothpaste, into each of the three remaining jars.

science experiment for kids shows two jars filled with pop and an egg in each.

That’s all you need to do to prepare your experiment! Leave for 24 hours.

egg and toothpaste experiment shows two jars with an egg in each.

Children may notice right away some bubbles and changes in the eggs and jars. This is a great chance to talk about what they observe.

egg and toothpaste experiment shows two jars filled with water and an egg in each.

Step 3 Egg and Toothpaste Experiment

Once the eggs have been in the jars for 24 hours, remove the eggs. Give kids a chance to carefully touch and feel the eggs when they are removed from the liquids.

egg and toothpaste experiment shows six eggs lined up.

The Results

The eggs in the water remain unchanged. The one that had toothpaste looks and feels basically the same as the other egg. This helps to shows kids that water is safe and good to drink at any time and will not damage their teeth.

science for kids shows two white eggs beside each other.

The eggs in the pop, however, reveal something different. The egg with the toothpaste is much lighter and not as stained as the other egg. The egg without the toothpaste is brown and stained.

This shows kids that the same can happen to their teeth overtime if they don’t brush and protect them with toothpaste. The paste creates a protective coating around the shell/enamel.

science for kids shows two eggs one more brown than the other.

The eggs in the vinegar are always the most exciting! As soon as kids remove the egg from the jar, they will feel the difference in the egg. Both of the eggs feel squishy and bouncy. Kids may also notice that the egg with the toothpaste looks a bit different from the other one.

egg and toothpaste experiment shows two eggs. One yellow and the other white.

The egg with the toothpaste has some of the shell still intact. It will likely not still be hard, depending how long you leave the egg in, but it should still be visible. The egg’s shell, without the toothpaste, has been completely broken down and the eggs can even be bounced (from a small height).

Give kids the chance to squish and bounce the egg. Keeping in mind that the inside is still liquid and take care to not pop the egg.

egg experiment for kids shows someone squishing an egg.

Egg Toothpaste Experiment Results

The acid in the vinegar eats away at and breaks down the eggshell. We can see the reaction of the two materials being exposed to each other with the bubbles that form on the shell. Overtime this chemical reaction breaks down and dissolves the shell.

egg and toothpaste experiment shows someone holding an egg with some of the shell rubbed off.

The egg with the toothpaste, however, has a bit of a coating that protects the shell and it does not break down, or destroy it as fast.

Hopefully, children will see from this that using toothpaste helps protect their teeth from acidic foods and other foods and liquids that otherwise wear away at their teeth.

Kids will love being able to bounce their egg and squish it in the hand. The egg feels completely different then it did before being in the vinegar.

You can try other liquids and see what happens. Do you get the same result as the pop, vinegar or water? It’s a fun test to see.

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