The
"Powers" of the Equinox?
Conducting
a Scientific Investigation
On the equinoxes (approx. March 20 and September 22) the amount of day and night are of equal length--approximately 12 hours each. There's a "balance" of light and dark at almost all locations on earth.
| But some people believe that there is another kind of "balance" on the equinoxes, a special kind of force that will make a raw egg balance on its own end! Do you think this is true? Is there some sort of cosmic "balance" that makes eggs stand on their own on the equinoxes, but not on other days? Is there a scientific way for you to test this? |
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When to Try This Experiment:
Scientific proof lies in repeated testing, to see if the results are repeated or different with each test. It is important that you perform this testing many times too, before, on, and after the equinox, on the following schedule:
- Once per week for the two weeks before the equinox;
- On the equinox;
- And once per week for the two weeks after the equinox.
Materials Needed:
- Eggs (raw, in the shell)
- A smooth flat surface (and a steady hand)
- Confidence your students will not break the eggs
- Student Journals
Follow These Steps
- Before
beginning the experiment, have students record their initial hypothesis
in their journal. (Is there some special force that exists on
the equinox that allows eggs to balance on end?)
- Use
enough eggs so that there is one egg per student or group.
- Mark
each egg, so each group uses the same egg in all tests.
- On
a flat surface, have the students or groups try to balance their
egg on end. Students should record their results. This experiment
should be performed once a week for two weeks before the equinox,
then on the equinox, and then for two weeks after the equinox.
Be sure to refrigerate the eggs between experiments!
- Students should record their findings in their journals after each experiment.
Perform this experiment before, during and after the equinox. Then see what the Scientist thinks.
- Do eggs balance on the equinox?
- How about on other testing days?
- Compare your test results. Does there appear to be something different occurring on the equinox?
- How do you interpret the data you have gathered?
- What variables can you think of which might impact whether an egg can balance on its own?
- What conclusion(s) can you draw? Refer to the Scientist Says Lesson and write a scientific paper on your research.
