For hours of free science experiment resources

click here!

Experiment Disclaimer

'Rubber' chicken bones - the classic science experiment

Instructions

1. Soak the bones in vinegar for at least an hour. Really, the longer the better for this experiment.

2. Leave the bone until it is soft and bendable - you can even tie it in knots.

3. If you take the bones out of the vinegar and leave them overnight they will harden in the position you left them, by reabsorbing carbon from the carbon dioxide in the air.

Back to dinosaur experiments

You will need:

Vinegar
Clean chicken bones

Vinegar is acetic acid and bones are made of roughly 10 per cent calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate forms a framework on which bone growth takes place. As the bone soaks, the calcium carbonate reacts with the acid vinegar, producing carbon dioxide gas (this is the bubbles coming off the bone).

Refer this site to a colleague

Back to Main Experiments page

Back to chemistry experiments

Copyright