Variation in the percentage of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) of three types of chicken

eggshells: white, brown, and farm, after being exposed to different percentages of acetic

acid (CH₃COOH)

Research Question

To what extent, there is a variation in the percentage of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in three

types of chicken eggshells: white, brown, and farm, after being exposed to different

percentages of acetic acid (CH₃COOH)?

Background information

For this experiment there are going to be used: white, brown, and farm eggshells. The

importance of this component in an egg is for being used as an embryonic chamber providing

mechanical protection and a controlled gas exchange medium between the embryo and the

environment. The eggshell structure is 97% calcium carbonate, this is normally because of

the diet that the farmer gave to the hen (Hunton, 2005), this compound is the one that is going

to be measured in this experiment.

There are different types of eggshells, in this experiment, it will be used white

eggshells and brown eggshells, the reason for the color of the eggs is the breed of the chicken

and the pigmentation that the hens produce. The only real difference between those eggshells

is the price and the color since nutritionally both of these are almost the same (Jones, 2021).

So after knowing these, we can conclude that there are no differences between the eggshells

that could affect the experiment procedure, but we are using different types of eggshells, for

the experiment to have alternatives variables, and perhaps there are no differences

nutritionally, but we may found a variety of results, since the diet of the hen may vary and is

not going to be the same for every egg.

On the other hand, the farm eggshells can be different from the others because of the

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Hen´s alimentation and how it is more natural; having as a diet more natural proteins from the

grass or leaves. Farm eggs have less cholesterol and saturated fat than those purchased from a

store, additionally, they also contain 25% more vitamin E, 75% more beta carotene, and up to

20 times more Omega-3 fatty acids (Backyard Boost, 2021). So after this, we can realize how

farm eggs are healthier than normal eggs, like the ones that are going to be used in this

experiment, white and brown eggs.

Calcium carbonate in an eggshell is so high for it to become more resistant and in that

way protect better the embryo, but there are certain factors that could affect the eggshell

quality like the production or egg weight, also when the hen gets older and older the quality

of the eggshell is more poor (Roberts, 2004). These considerations will be considered in the

limited error that may occur in this experiment since I can't verify the hen´s age, and also it

will be put on the uncontrolled variables.

The calcium carbonate (CaCO) that will be looked at in the eggshell, is found in

nature, giving hardness and strength to things such as seashells, rocks, and eggshells. This

compound will react readily with hydrochloric acid to yield carbon dioxide gas, this way

helping the environment by reducing CO2 emissions. A good quality eggshell will contain,

on average, 2.2 grams of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate. Approximately 94% of a

dry eggshell is calcium carbonate and has a typical mass of 5.5 grams,1 although these values

can differ depending on sources (UK Essays, 2021).

With this study as we saw in the previous explanation, we are going to test calcium

carbonate in eggshells, since this compound can be useful to fight climate change because the

calcium carbonate could be created noncrystalline forms into beautiful calcite crystals that

could lock away carbon underground for thousands to millions of years (WebDev, 2016). The

experiment is interesting since it will be helpful to have all the information possible for this

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compound because it can be useful for taking out carbon dioxide, one of the biggest factors

affecting climate change.

Finally, from this experiment, the aim is to see the changes in the calcium carbonate

percentage of white, brown, and farm eggshell, when it is exposed to different percentages of

acetic acid. Also with the results, there will be a comparison in both experiments, using the

changes in the calcium carbonate percentage of the eggshells that are going to be used, seeing

in this way the resistance of calcium carbonate percentage to different percentages of acetic

acid.

Hypothesis

H0 (null) :

- If the white eggshell is exposed to a higher concentration of acetic acid, then the

calcium carbonate percentage will increase.

- If the brown eggshell is exposed to a higher concentration of acetic acid, then the

calcium carbonate percentage will increase.

- If the farm eggshell is exposed to a higher concentration of acetic acid, then the

calcium carbonate percentage will increase.

Figure 1: H0 null predicted graph results

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H1 (alternative) :

- If the white eggshell is exposed to a higher concentration of acetic acid, then the

calcium carbonate percentage will decrease.

- If the brown eggshell is exposed to a higher concentration of acetic acid, then the

calcium carbonate percentage will decrease.

- If the farm eggshell is exposed to a higher concentration of acetic acid, then the

calcium carbonate percentage will decrease.

Figure 2: H1 alternative predicted graph results

Variables

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 Table 1: Independent variables
Likely impact upon the
investigation
Independent variables - By using the water, the
purest liquid, the
- Water (H₂O) intention is to regulate
- Acetic acid the reaction that will
(CH₃COOH) occur in the eggshells,
after being exposed to
different percentages of
the acetic acid and in
that way with the use of
water, the substance will
become vinegar.
- By using the acetic acid,
the intention is to see
how the calcium
carbonate percentage
will react after being
exposed to a liquid that
can help kill pathogens,
including bacteria.
Table 2: Dependent variables
Likely impact upon the
investigation
Dependent variables - By using the eggshell´s
calcium carbonate
- White eggshell percentage, it will be
calcium used for finding the
carbonate relationship between
percentage the acetic acid and the
- Brown eggshell type of eggshell
calcium depending on the
carbonate percentage that will be
percentage used.
- Farm eggshell
calcium
carbonate
percentage
Table 3: Control variables
How the variable will be changed/
measured/controlled
- Since there will be
different percentages that
will react to the
eggshells, it will be
controlled by having
exact percentages of
acetic acid and water,
depending on the
eggshell, changing in that
way the quantities of the
acetic acid depending on
the percentage that is
going to be used. Also, it
will be measured with
mL.
How the variable will be changed/
measured/controlled
- It will be changed after
being exposed to
different percentages of
acetic acid and will be
measured in grams. Also,
it will be controlled and
analyzed with
stoichiometry.
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 Likely impact upon the How the variable will be changed/
investigation measured/controlled

Control variables - The time taken is an - It will be controlled using

important factor since if a chronometer for having
- The time that it's inaccurate in the the same time in each
the substances substances, it would eggshell.
will be exposed completely change the
to the eggshells results of the - It will be controlled by
- Removal of the experiment. taking it out before
protein starting the experiment.
members inside - It is a need to remove
the eggshells the protein members for - It will be controlled by
- The it to not interfere with being exactly measured
standardization the experiment results. with the lab instruments
of the reaction and then with this
with NaOH standardize the eggshell.

Table 4: Uncontrolled variables

Likely impact upon the How the variable will be changed/

investigation measured/controlled

Uncontrolled variables - As we saw in the - It can't be measured,

- Resistance of
the eggshells
- Age of the hen
background, the changed, or controlled.
resistance of the
eggshell depends on the
hen's diet, so I can't
know what the hen was
fed.

- Also, one of the factors

that could be affecting
the eggshell quality is
the hen´s age, since
when the older the hen
is, the eggshell will be
of poor quality.

Equipment list

● Electronic balance (1)

● Bakers 100 mL (2)

● Conical flask (9)

● Mortar and pestle (1)

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 ● Petri box (9)

● Shaker (1)

● Universal sport (1)

● Volumetric ballon 250 mL (2)

● Burette 50mL (1)

● Brown eggshells (6)

● White eggshells (6)

● Farm eggshells (6)

● 275 mL of water (H₂O)

● 50 mL of acetic acid (CH₃COOH)

Method

1. Protein members were removed from the white eggshell, brown, and farm eggshell.

2. Let the eggshell get dry by exposing them to the sun.

3. The eggshell was grounded into fine powder by the mortar, doing this exact process

for the 3 eggshells.

4. 7.5g of the eggshell powder is weighed accurately by using an electronic balance and

it was transferred to a Petri dish.

5. 25 mL of water was pipetted to dissolve the eggshell powder.

6. Have ready the solution of acetic acid depending on the percentage that is going to be

used.

7. Put the solution into cubed for 1 hour.

8. Faltering the solution using filter papers.

9. Pippet out 25.00 cm3 from each solution to titration flasks.

10. The solution was then titrated with standardized NaOH.

11. Collect the correct burette readings at the endpoint.

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 12. Do the calculations and find the calcium carbonate percentage after being exposed to

the substance, by using stoichiometry.

13. Repeat the process three times for each type of eggshell and its respective acetic acid

percentage.

14. Compare the results of calcium carbonate percentage, taking into account that the

lesser percentage obtained in the results, the higher calcium carbonate the eggshell

has.

Safety, Ethical and environmental considerations

Acetic acid can be harmful to wildlife in high concentrations, but since the experiment

occurs in a laboratory and it is worked in low concentrations, then there should not be

environmental considerations. Although the use of only the eggshells of an egg is unethical

because of the waste of food, to try to minimize this, I used the rest of the egg for cooking my

own breakfast, and in that way, it should not be that much of a waste. Finally, the acetic acid

in touch of the skin or eyes could be harmful, but by using all the needed laboratory

equipment; lab coat, and gloves, then this shouldn't be a problem.

Results

For starting with the results obtained in the laboratory, we got to state the results of

titration in every eggshell, seeing this with the volumes obtained after the titration and also

with the volume of NaOH that was used during the titration, using these data, for after that

having the necessary data to perform the calculations to find the calcium carbonate

percentage. Therefore, these are the results obtained in the investigation:

Table 5: Titration results for the white eggshells

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 Acetic acid concentration 1% 2% 3%

Volume of eggshells 125.00 125.00 125.00

solution / cm 3

Volume of NaOH used / 27.10 28.00 27.70

3
cm

Table 6: Titration results for the brown eggshells

Acetic acid concentration 1% 2% 3%

Volume of eggshells 125.00 125.00 125.00

solution / cm 3

Volume of NaOH used / 27.00 27.70 27.50

3
cm

Table 7: Titration results for the camp eggshells

Acetic acid concentration 1% 2% 3%

Volume of eggshells 125.00 125.00 125.00

solution / cm 3

Volume of NaOH used / 27.30 28.20 27.70

3
cm

From the results, the qualitative data that was observed, rested on how the eggshell at

the moment of being powdered and also mixed with water and acetic acid, lost their color,

being hard to differentiate between the eggshells used. But at the moment of the titration, it

became colorless by time and then a little pink could be seen in the solution. This occurs

because the phenolphthalein indicator used in the titration, making it to be able to identify if

the solution is a base or an acid, so since the color that I saw was pink, the solution is an

alkaline and has a pH around 8.2 (Kozlowski, 2020).

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Analysis

The principle that will help us find the calcium carbonate percentage, comes from the

original experiment in which they used as the reactor, hydrochloric acid (HCI), therefore the

theory looked like this:

2HCl(aq) + CaCO3(s) → CaCl2(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)

(UK Essays, 2021)

Since in this explorations, during the experiments there was not a use of hydrochloric acid

(HCI) and it was changed with acetic acid (CH₃COOH), then the theory could be changed to

the next reaction:

2CH3COOH(l) + CaCO3(s) → Ca(CH)2(aq) + H2O(l) + 2CO2(g)

The values of the original principle of the experiment were replaced with the ones that have

been used, and then the equation had to be balanced, so at the end it has four atoms of carbon

(C) and hydrogen (H), also joined with five atoms of oxygen (O), in the reactants and

products. So after having the right principle for this experiment, we need for starting the

average volume of NaOH used in the three eggshells:

● White eggshell: (27.10 + 28.00 + 27.70) / 3 = 27.6 cm3

● Brown eggshell: (27.00 + 27.70 + 27.50) / 3 = 27.4 cm 3

● Farm eggshell: (27.30 + 28.20 + 27.70) / 3 = 27.7 cm 3

So now that we have this data, we can start to do the necessary stoichiometry, for having the

calcium carboante percentage in each eggshell:

● White egghshell
3
27.6 cm
X 2 mol = 55.2
1

Since number of moles of NaOH = number of moles of CH₃COOH in 125 cm 3

55.2 X 4 mol = 220.8

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The initial no of moles of CH₃COOH: volume X molarity

❑
X 2 mol =
1

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References

- Hunton, P. (2005, June 1). Research on eggshell structure and quality: An historical

overview. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from

https://www.scielo.br/j/rbca/a/JRPfHxWpcVTpRqnv6s5WtCn/

- Jones, T. (2021, September 22). Brown vs. White eggs - is there a difference?

Healthline. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-vs-brown-eggs#egg-colors

- Roberts, J. R. (2004, December 3). Factors affecting egg internal quality and egg

shell quality in laying hens. The Journal of Poultry Science. Retrieved February 17,

2022, from https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpsa/41/3/41_3_161/_article

- UK Essays. (2021, December 31). Calcium carbonate composition of brown and

white eggshells. UK Essays. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/chemistry/calcium-carbonate.php

- WebDev, I. E. T. (2016, May 3). Calcium carbonate and climate change. UC Davis.

Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/calcium-carbonate-

and-climate-change

- Benefits of farm-fresh eggs. Backyard Boost. (2021, June 11). Retrieved August 17,

2022, from https://backyardboost.co/2021/06/11/benefits-of-farm-fresh-eggs/

- Kozlowski, R. (2020, February 16). Why does phenolphthalein change color?

Sciencing. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://sciencing.com/phenolphthalein-

change-color-5271431.html

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