Big Woods Week 3

This week the girls were learning about trees, specifically maple trees.

While learning how the trees get their water from deep undground 

with a process known as osmosis, they were able to

perform a fun experiment that demonstrates

this using everyday raw eggs...

but first there was a little preparation to do

the eggs protective shell had to be removed while keeping

the thin but strong membrane intact... plain white

vinegar did the trick within 24 hours

some of the shell was still attached to the egg,

so we ran warm water over it and gently rubbed

it off.  It came of very easily.

here is the egg without it's shell.  The girls described it

as feeling like a water balloon, I would have to agree.

it even bounced, of course if your gonna bounce it

gently must be emphasized :-)

Now for the fun, the experiment.  I guess this would be a good

time to define osmosis, using the girls own words...

...osmosis is the moving of liquids through a permeable

object, such as the membrane of an egg, the most 

consecrated  liquid will draw the less concentrated liquid

through the permeable object, to create an equal pressure

or balance of each liquid...

The above pic is egg A and egg B, both measured before

immersing them in the liquids.

Egg A (7 inches)  is in pure molasses while egg B (6 inches)

is in colored water

24 hours later...

Egg A was measured at 5 inches while Egg B measured at

a one in increase 7 inches!

Egg B had lots of room, it was soft and you could

actually pinch an inch... lol,

while Egg A was tight and felt like it could

burst at any moment!

Unfortunately non of the pictures pass this point took,

but I'll tell you what happened, I know your on the edge of

your seat!  The girls switched the solution, Egg A was now immersed

in the colored water and Egg B in the molasses.  Can you guess

what happened?  My girls got it, Egg A would shrink and Egg B

would increase... thus osmosis in the making!!

The girls loved it!!  And they know what osmosis is!! Yay!!