Science Smarts: Easter always brings so many opportunities for some fun science experiments

By Patty Rooks on April 19, 2025.

It is a long weekend, and I know that many of us will be looking for some “eggciting” things to do with family and friends. This “eggcellent” activity will definitely surprise you. Hopefully you will have some extra eggs around the house just in case things do not work out. I hope you have an “eggciting” time trying this out. Let’s get started!

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– Several dozen eggs (in the carton)

– Plastic tarp or bags

– Tape

– Scissors

– Bucket of water

– Cleaner that will sanitize the area

– Two science helpers

Procedure

1. Find a good place to work, a larger area with a clear path.

2. Cover the area with a plastic tarp or cut some garbage bags and lay them down. In order to avoid tripping on anything tape the plastic tarp down.

3. Before you start, make sure you inspect the eggs to ensure they are free from any cracks or breaks. You do not want to set yourself up for failure before you even start!

4. Place at least two cartons of eggs in the middle of the plastic tarp. Make sure they are side by side.

5. It is time to get ready! Remover your shoes and socks.

6. Have one helper stand on one side of the egg cartons and the other helper on the OTHER side. You need to stand just in front of the egg cartons.

7. Have one of the science helpers get you up onto the first carton of eggs. They will hold your arm and gently balance you as you make your foot as flat as possible BEFORE you place it on the eggs. You need to distribute your weight EVENLY across the entire carton of eggs.

8. If you hear any eggs crack, get off and replace the broken eggs before moving to the next step.

9. It you are up on the eggs successfully, have the other science helper balance you so you can do the same with this foot. DO NOT forget to distribute your weight evenly and have that foot flat.

10. What happens?

11. If you are successful and can stand on these two cartons, add some more and see how far you can walk!

12. Once you are finished make sure you clean up your area and sanitize it.

What is going on?

Eggs are “eggceptional”! All joking aside, as you saw, eggs are amazingly strong. The secret is the shape of the egg. If you observed an egg, it is not completely round and it is this shape that gives it such amazing strength. The curved form of the shell allows for the pressure to be distributed evenly all over the shell rather than in just one spot. Another interesting fact is that the egg is strongest at the top and bottom, this is why it does not break if you stand on it correctly.

Patty Rooks, senior scientific consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: 12 826 11th Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403-527-5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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