Incredible “Feets” with Eggs
- by KitchenPantryScientist
Would you be surprised if I told you that you could stand on a carton of raw eggs barefoot without breaking them? Or that you can squeeze an egg with all your might without even cracking it (provided there are no cracks in the egg and you’re not wearing a ring?)Here’s a video of us doing these eggsperiments on Kare 11 Sunrise news!
Chicken eggs have delicate enough shells that chicks can peck their way out, but their architecture is nothing short of amazing. Their arched shape makes them able to handle large amounts of pressure without cracking, which is extremely important, since hens must sit on them in order to hatch them out. Humans use arches too, for designing strong building and bridges.
Remove any rings you’re wearing, place a raw egg in a plastic baggie and wrap your hand around it evenly. Squeeze as hard as you can. Did you break it?
If you’re feeling brave, open a carton of raw eggs, remove any that are cracked and make sure they’re all pointing in the same direction (pointy side up or round side up) and set them on the floor.
Remove your socks and hold on to a chair or someone’s hand. Carefully step onto the eggs with your entire foot. Remember: pressure is force per unit of area. The idea is to equally distribute your weight, and therefore the pressure, across all twelve eggs. Let go of the chair.
Did it work? How important do you think it is to keep your foot flat? What would happen if you tried the same experiment in pointy high-heels?
Remember to wash your hands after touching raw eggs so you don’t spread Salmonella bacteria around!