STEM
Hands-‐on
activity
The
SCIENCE
involved
in
brushing
your
teeth
(Suitable
for
middle
school
students)
Overview:
In
this
experiment,
students
will
see
the
effect
of
a
carbonated
drink
on
an
eggshell,
which
will
act
as
a
tooth.
Background:
Eggshells
are
used
in
this
experiment
as
a
substitute
for
teeth,
because
both
contain
a
high
percentage
of
calcium
minerals.
Eggshells
contain
mainly
composite
calcium
carbonate,
with
come
calcium
phosphate;
whereas
tooth
enamel
is
a
composite
calcium
phosphate.
The
eggshell
is
half
coated
in
toothpaste.
The
calcium
fluoride
in
the
toothpaste
protects
this
half
of
the
eggshell
in
the
same
way
that
toothpaste
protects
our
teeth.
Goals:
1.
To
see
the
effect
of
carbonated
drinks
on
an
eggshell
2.
To
show
that
toothpaste
has
a
protective
effect
3.
To
encourage
students
to
see
the
importance
of
brushing
their
teeth
Safety:
This
experiment
should
NOT
be
carried
out
if
anyone
has
an
egg
allergy.
Care
should
be
taken
when
using
the
eggs
and
all
spillages
wiped
up
quickly.
The
soft
drink
mix
and
egg
should
be
disposed
of
after
use.
Materials:
Egg
Carbonated
drink
such
as
tonic
water
or
clear
soda
Toothpaste
Pen
Small
bowl
or
plastic
cup
Spoon
Water
Paper
towels
Method:
Please
note
that
this
experiment
must
be
set
up
quickly
to
allow
the
eggshell
to
be
left
for
a
length
of
time
and
the
carbonated
drink
to
take
effect.
1. Coat
half
the
eggshell
with
a
thick
layer
of
toothpaste
from
top
to
bottom
as
shown
in
Figure
1.
Mark
which
side
is
which.
2. Place
the
egg
in
the
small
bowl/plastic
cup.
3. Add
enough
carbonated
drink
to
the
bowl/cup
until
the
whole
egg
is
immersed.
If
the
egg
floats,
you
may
need
to
weigh
it
down
with
a
spoon.
4. Leave
the
egg
in
the
bowl/cup
for
at
least
30
minutes,
longer
if
possible.
Look
at
the
experiment
occasionally
throughout
this
time.
5. After
the
time
is
up,
carefully
remove
the
egg
from
the
bowl/cup.
6. Wash
the
egg
with
water
and
wipe
dry
with
the
paper
towel.
7. Gently
tap
the
egg
on
both
sides.
8. Break
the
eggshell,
disposing
of
the
egg
yolk
and
egg
white.
9. Wash
out
the
eggshell.
10. Compare
both
sides
of
the
eggshell,
by
breaking
a
piece
off
each
side.
Figure 1: Picture of the egg half coated in toothpaste.
Suggested
questions
to
ask
students
[and
expected
results]:
• What
do
you
notice
when
you
added
the
carbonated
drink
to
the
egg?
[It
should
start
to
bubble.]
• Do
you
notice
what
is
happening
throughout
the
30
minutes
(or
longer)?
[There
will
be
lots
of
bubbles.
The
carbonated
drink
will
start
to
go
cloudy.
The
toothpaste
layer
on
the
egg
with
look
as
if
it
is
being
“eaten
away”.]
• When
the
egg
comes
out
of
the
carbonated
drink,
do
you
notice
anything?
[Most
of
the
toothpaste
will
have
been
removed.]
• What
happened
when
you
washed
the
egg?
[A
layer
rubs
off
the
side
of
the
egg
without
the
toothpaste
on
it,
as
shown
in
Figure
2.]
This side of the egg was coated in toothpaste.
This side of the egg was not coated in
toothpaste. A layer of the shell has rubbed off
this side making the shell lighter.
Figure 2: Picture of egg after being immersed in lemonade with half the egg coated in toothpaste.
• When
you
tapped
the
egg,
was
there
any
difference?
[There
is
a
subtle
difference
in
how
each
side
sounds.]
• When
you
broke
a
piece
off
the
eggshell,
did
you
notice
any
difference?
[The
half
without
the
toothpaste
breaks
easier
and
seems
more
brittle
compared
to
the
half
that
had
the
toothpaste
over
it
(see
Figure
3).]
Figure 3: Pictures of the egg after cracking the shell. The photo on the left hand side shows the
side that had the toothpaste on it. While it has cracked, it is one crack. The photo on the right
hand side shows the side that had no toothpaste on it. When this was tapped, the egg shell
broke into lots of little bits. Both photos are taken in the same light conditions and so this also
shows the change in colour due to the layer being “rubbed off” the half of the egg with no
toothpaste on.
From
“Science
Night
Out”,
Scottish
Council
for
Development
and
Industry