How to Put an Egg in a Bottle

Putting an egg in a milk bottle seems like an impossible task, but with a little science and a few common household items, you absolutely can do it! This is a fun science experiment that many people know.

Table of Contents

Boil the egg

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Place the eggs in a pot of water. Use warm water to boil faster.

You can boil multiple eggs to test multiple times, in case you don’t succeed with the first egg.

Boil water. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Leave it on for about 20 minutes while the water boils. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Peel eggs. Pour boiling water into the sink, being careful not to burn yourself. Use cold water to cool the eggs and then peel them. You can knock the egg on the countertop to break the shell for easy peeling. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Use matches

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Place the bottle in place. Place the glass bottle upright, the mouth of the bottle facing the sky. This is the pose required to perform this experiment.

Remember to use a glass bottle. Plastic bottles (or bottles made of materials other than glass) used in this game can be dangerous.
The mouth of the bottle should be small, but at least half the diameter of an egg (such as a milk bottle).

Use candles

Insert birthday candles into an egg. Insert 2-3 small birthday candles into the pointed end of a hard-boiled egg. Make sure the candle is firmly inserted but not so deep that the egg will break. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Light the candle. Carefully (and under adult supervision) light the candles. Candles must be flammable.

Put the burning candles in the bottle face down. Hold the bottle face down on the burning candle, being careful not to let the egg seal the mouth of the bottle for a few seconds. You need to let the candle preheat the air inside the bottle. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Watch the egg go into the bottle. After a few seconds, lower the bottle completely so that the egg seals the mouth of the bottle. The candle will probably go out, but the egg will slide into the bottle in a split second.

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Explain to your friends about the game. This game is successful because the burning matches will heat the air in the bottle, and the steam will be released due to the burning reaction. This process causes the air in the bottle to expand and partially escape.

When the egg seals the mouth of the bottle, the match will go out quickly due to the lack of air. As the temperature in the bottle cools, the volume of air inside the bottle decreases as water vapor condenses (observe the small “cloud” inside the bottle when the match goes out) and the dry air cools.
As the volume of air in the bottle decreases, the pressure exerted on the egg also decreases, while the pressure of the outside air does not change. The egg will be pushed into the bottle when the difference between the pressure outside and inside the bottle is large enough to squeeze the egg and overcome the friction at the neck of the bottle. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Advice

To get an egg out of a bottle, read another wikiHow article.
Usually the egg will be intact when sucked into the bottle, but results can vary.
Do you want to leave the eggshell intact? Just soak the eggs in vinegar for 24 hours until the shells are soft and follow the instructions above. After another 24 hours, the eggshell will harden. You can even perform this trick with a raw egg.
You can also perform with the ball. Stretch the mouth of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle, and it will inflate inside the bottle.
Don’t wait too long after you’ve lit a match. They will turn off.
Apply oil to the surface of the egg to make it easier for the egg to slide into the bottle.
Smooth over eggs.

Warning

Do not perform this trick on carpets or similar objects.
Do not perform this experiment if you do not know how to use matches or lighters.
Remember to tie your hair up if you have long hair, as hair is flammable.
If you are under 18 years old, DO NOT attempt this experiment without adult supervision. Ask an adult to light a match if you don’t feel confident.

Things you need

1 glass bottle with a mouth wide enough for an egg to fit in (See “Tips”)
3 matches
Birthday candle
1 boiled egg, peeled
Goggles

Steps