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Why Do Rotten Eggs Float?

If we are getting a fresh egg from any source, we don’t need to check either is it fresh or rotten. On the other hand, if we are getting eggs from a third party and we don’t know either is it fresh or rotten, we have to check it. The floatation test is the most common test to check the freshness of an egg. To perform this test, you will have to take freshwater in a glass. After taking the water, we have to place the egg in it. If the egg sinks, it is an indication that the egg is fresh and safe to cook. If the egg floats at the surface of the water, it means that the egg is rotten and it is not safe to cook.
why do rotten eggs float?
On the other hand, if the egg neither sinks nor floats i.e. it remains in the center of the glass, it indicates that it is old but still, it is safe to cook. After performing this test, when you use this egg for cooking, you will see that this test has given accurate results. You may also like to read about floating dead bodies on the surface of the water.

Why Do Rotten Egg Float?

Before discussing it, we discuss a common myth about this phenomenon. Some people say that rotten egg floats on the surface of the water because the liquid matter inside the egg changes into a gaseous state. It is a myth because if liquid matter changes into a gaseous state, the mass of the egg will remain the same. If the mass of the egg remains the same, it means that the density of the egg is greater than the density of the water and it should sink instead of floating.
Now, we come to the main point. An egg sinks into the water because its density is greater than the water. After some time, decomposition occurs in the egg, and the mass inside the egg starts to convert into a gaseous state. The eggs are porous; therefore, these eggs escape some amount of gas through the eggshell. As a result, this gas is lost in the atmosphere. After losing enough amount of gas, the density of the egg decreases and it starts to float on the surface of the water.

Why Do Rotten Eggs Smell So Bad?

Eggs are known as the best resource for taking proteins because eggs have a high concentration of globulin and keratin proteins. When globulin decays, it releases hydrogen sulfide. On the other hand, when keratin decays, it releases an amino acid called cysteine. This amino acid is also full of Sulphur atoms. Therefore, we can say that both of these proteins release a sulfurous smell. This sulfurous smell tells us that an egg is rotten. This sulfurous smell is just like the smell of sewage treatment plants. Most people have lots of questions about the expiration dates of the eggs. They should know that after packing the eggs, the expiration date should not be longer than 30 days.

Another Way to Tell Either an Egg is Rotten or Not?

If you don’t have a glass of fresh water, you can also check the freshness of the egg by another method. In this method, you will have to hold the egg near your ear. After holding the egg near to your ear, you should shake it and listen to its voice. If you are not listening to enough sound, it means that the egg is fresh to use. On the other hand, if you are listening to enough sound by shaking it, it means that the egg is rotten. Its reason is that the liquid matter of the fresh egg has enough cohesion and it doesn’t allow the particles to move. On the other hand, when this liquid converts into the gaseous state, it loses cohesion and its particles move easily which makes enough noise.

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