How Heat Turns Liquid Eggs Into Solids

SciShow Kids

This educational video from SciShow Kids explores the science behind cooking eggs, specifically investigating why liquid eggs turn solid when boiled. Host Jessi and her robot friend Squeaks begin by observing the physical differences between raw and hard-boiled eggs, noting the transformation of both the egg white and the yolk from goopy liquids to firm solids. The video introduces the concept of proteins as the key nutrient in eggs and uses accessible animations to explain what happens to these proteins at a microscopic level. Using a clever analogy, the narrator compares proteins in a raw egg to neatly folded laundry that unfolds and tangles together when exposed to heat. This process, known as denaturation (though simplified for the audience), explains why the change is irreversible. Teachers can use this video to introduce states of matter (liquids vs. solids), basic chemistry concepts regarding heat and molecular changes, or nutrition. It serves as an excellent prompt for classroom experiments involving cooking or observing irreversible changes, offering a safe and familiar entry point into the chemistry of cooking.