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The Chemistry of Easter Egg Dyeing

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American



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Happy Easter! Today, children across the world will be searching for colored eggs and goodies brought by the mysterious Easter bunny. Perhaps most of them won't be thinking too much about the chemistry of colored eggs, but undoubtedly some of us science geeks will be. Which is why I'm happy to have come across this video produced by the American Chemical Society. Dr. Diane Bunce, a professor of chemistry at Catholic University of America, takes us through the processes at work between the calcium carbonate, protein cuticle and vinegar that allows dye to bond to eggs.

The video is directed and animated by Elaine Seward, and it's well worth a watch if you are at all curious about the science behind the Easter Egg!

Carin Bondar is a biologist, writer and film-maker with a PhD in population ecology from the University of British Columbia. Find Dr. Bondar online at www.carinbondar.com, on twitter @drbondar or on her facebook page: Dr. Carin Bondar – Biologist With a Twist.

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