Andrew Daly, Chris Palandra, Chris Holstine, Jimmy Covert
Safety
Adults must operate the food processor, do not attempt to do this experiment alone!
Materials
6 eggshells
1 tsp very hot water (tap water)
1 tsp flour
Paste food color
Procedure
Wash the eggshells and remove any access yolk/white. Dry the shells and grind them into a fine powder using a food processor or a mortar and pestle. You will use one tablespoonful of this powder per stick of chalk.
Measure the powder. When you have enough powder to make a stick of chalk (1 tablespoon) sift or pick out any little bits of eggshell to ensure the powder is clean and clear.
Stir the flour and hot water together and make a paste. Put the tablespoonful of eggshell powder into the paste and mix well. Add a few drops of your food coloring.
Shape this mixture into small chalk sticks, Then roll it up in a strip of paper towel or other absorbent material and set aside to dry for one to three days. Once dried, peel the paper and draw!
Explanation
In science class, you will learn about the two different types of mixtures: homogeneous and heterogeneous. With homo meaning same, and hetero meaning different, homogeneous mixtures appear the same throughout while heterogeneous mixtures may appear different depending on where you look. The creation of this chalk today is a homogeneous mixture as no matter where you look, the chalk is smooth, the same color, and looks the same.
Resources
T. (2020, April 9). Eggshell Sidewalk Chalk. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/real-science-eggshell-sidewalk-chalk
Peppermill. (2019, December 20). Eggshell chalk. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.thepeppermillinc.com/recipes/eggshell-chalk/
Rowe, E. (2017, July 03). How to make your own eggshell chalk. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/activity-articles/how-to-make-your-own-eggshell-chalk/news-story/041ab8334eebedbaebcd6a52a9d5fe63