| | |

Seashell Acid Base Experiment

This post may contain affiliate links.

Do you live near a beach?  Or just need an idea for your next ocean lesson? Then you may just love this ocean science experiment. Did you know that you can do a simple acid base experiment with seashells and vinegar? The two combined create a chemical reaction. Shells are a base and vinegar is an acid, so naturally there would be a reaction, right?

Ocean Science Dissolve a Shell

Have you ever tried the rubber egg experiment? It is a lot like that!

How to Do the Seashell Acid Base Experiment:

Fill a glass jar or cup with a few inched of white vinegar. Put a shell into the jar. Observe.

seashell acid base experiment

That’s it!  When you place the shell into the vinegar, you will immediately start seeing bubbles coming off of the shell.

ocean science- shell experiment

This is carbon dioxide that is created by the reaction between the two.

Ocean science experiment- acid base shell

Shells are made of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate reacts to the acid in vinegar and if the shell is left in the vinegar for a few days, it will actually dissolve! After about a day and a half, the effects slowed down, so I poured out the old vinegar and put some fresh vinegar in.

This is the jar after 2 days. They shell is almost completely gone. There is just a tiny remnant left. Pretty amazing isn’t it?!

Check out our Rubber Egg Experiment, it reacts in the same way!  Want more acid base experiments?  Try the Cabbage Juice Science Experiment, the Poinsettia pH Experiment or the Green Eggs Chemical Reaction.

Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids:

This post is part of the Virtual Book Club for Kids series. (Join the Facebook group to follow along with the series.)

This week’s theme is The Ocean. The featured book is A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. Eric Carle has always been one of our favorites, and this book is another good one! This seashell acid base experiment is a perfect STEM activity to go along with it. 

See what the other Virtual Book Club Bloggers shared this week:

Sequencing Activities Based on a House for a Hermit Crab– JDaniel4’s Mom
How Many Bubbles Couting Game – Clare’s Little Tots
Build A House For Hermit Crab Sensory Small World – Adventures and Play
Beach Mystery Texture Bag– My Storytime Corner
How to Make DIY Sea Shell Molds for Homemade Chocolate – Mama Smiles
How do fish breathe…and hermit crabs too! (a gill experiment) -Preschool Powol Packets
Under the sea colouring pages (FREE) – Messy Little Monster
Printable Ocean Themed Prewriting Activities– Artsy Momma

Similar Posts

One Comment

Leave a Reply