Let's Dye Easter Eggs!


If you dye your own Easter eggs, did you notice that the directions say to add vinegar to the water with the dye tablet? Why? Try this experiment to find out.

You will need:

  • two hard-boiled eggs
  • two jars or bowls
  • vinegar
  • water
  • masking tape and pen
  • blue food coloring

    • With the masking tape and pen, write two labels: "with vinegar" and "without vinegar." In the first jar or bowl (labeled with vinegar), put 1 cup of water, two drops of food coloring and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. In the second jar (labeled without vinegar), put 1 cup of water and two drops of food coloring. Stir both jars until the food coloring is well mixed. Now carefully place a boiled egg in each jar. Wait two minutes and then remove both eggs. Do you see a difference in the eggs? Why?

    You will see that the egg that was in the water with vinegar has a darker color. The molecules of dye have an overall negative charge. The vinegar causes the molecules of protein on the outside of the eggshell to become positively charged and attract the dye molecules. Some of the dye molecules will stick to the eggshell in the plain water, but the one with vinegar works better.

    Here are a couple of sites with articles about the history of Easter eggs and how to make some natural dyes for eggs.

    http://www.holidays.net/easter/eggs.html

    http://www.night.net/easter/eggcolor.htm...

    The copyright of the article Let's Dye Easter Eggs! in Kids' Chemistry is owned by Roberta Baxter. Permission to republish Let's Dye Easter Eggs! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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