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If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble? #1 Interesting Facts

If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble? #1 Interesting Facts

You’re curious, and that same curiosity of yours has brought you here. Either that or you probably just want to scramble an egg by shaking it.

Whatever it is that brought you here, you sure have landed on something interesting.

If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble?

It is possible to scramble an egg before its shell breaks by shaking it. The degree of ease with which you can do this depends primarily on the amount of free air in the egg. Temperature can also affect this a lot. The greater the amount of free air and the higher the temperature, the easier it is to scramble an egg.

If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble?
If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble?

I know you’re curious. Questions like “is there a device to scramble the eggs” and “is it safe to eat an egg scrambled by shaking” would be bombarding your mind. Let me answer them all for you.

But before that, here’s exactly how you can shake an egg to scramble it.

How to Scramble An Egg WITHOUT Any Device

Did you know that there are multiple ways to scramble an egg – without any contraptions?

Let me tell you a secret. Once you know what actually causes an egg to scramble, you can actually invent your own way of scrambling it. Skip to this section to find out more about what causes an egg to scramble.

Wrap your egg in a piece of cloth, and put it inside a tube. A tennis ball tube or a shuttlecock tube will suffice.

Attach strings to both ends of the tube. But make sure that the strings should not be free and both the ends of the strings should be attached to the tube. There should be two such sets.

Now, put one of the strings under your foot and keep it sturdy. Grab the end of the second string with your hand. Using your other hand, twist the tube as much as you can. 

Pull the string from your hand to reverse the stretch. The tube won’t stop at its resting position. The moment of inertia will keep it twisting in the other direction. Again, pull the strings and let this process happen for around 30 seconds.

After 30 seconds, stretch the tube again and perform the whole process again. Repeat this process 4-5 times. After you’re done you’ll see that the egg has been scrambled.

Alternatively, you could also use a device instead and save yourself from the hassle. 

What Causes An Egg to Scramble

In order for the yolk to mix with the albumen, also called the egg white, the proteins inside the yolk need to break down. This is where exposure to high temperatures facilitates the process.

Shaking an egg rigorously causes the proteins inside it to break and mix with the rest of the egg.

Before I get into what actually causes an egg to scramble, here’s a small math class for you.

Speed is known as velocity, and the rate of change of velocity is called acceleration. You might be familiar with this. The new thing here is that the rate of change of acceleration is called jerk.

If you’re not a math person, just understand that jerk means a sudden change in direction.

This jerk is what’s responsible for the mixing of an egg. Simply accelerating/moving the egg in one direction won’t do you any good – no matter how fast you do it.

The best way to do this is by inducing a twist rather than a straight (linear motion). 

For an egg to scramble, the proteins in the yolk need to break down.
For an egg to scramble, the proteins in the yolk need to break down.

Factors Deciding Whether The Egg Will Be Scrambled

The following two factors decide if your egg will be scrambled. Do keep in mind that your egg won’t always be scrambled.

1. Amount of Free Air inside the Egg

The greater the amount of free air inside the egg, the greater space there is for the yolk and the albumen to move. More movement leads to more jerks which ultimately leads to the scrambling itself.

The more free air inside the egg, the bigger the chance it will scramble.
The more free air inside the egg, the bigger the chance it will scramble.

2. Temperature

This one is interesting. I’ve mentioned before that the yolk mixes with other components of the egg when the protein inside it breaks. Exposing the egg to high temperatures aids in the breaking down of protein.

This makes the scrambling of eggs much easier. This is one factor that you can control – unlike the amount of free air inside the egg.

Keep the egg under the sun for a few hours and then shake it. This will drastically increase the chances of it scrambling. 

Eggs scrambled by shaking are safe to eat.
Eggs scrambled by shaking are safe to eat.

Is it Safe to Eat An Egg Scrambled by Shaking?

All you are doing is breaking down the protein inside the yolk and mixing it with the albumen. Nothing artificial is being added to the egg. Therefore, eggs scrambled by shaking are just as safe to eat as any others are.

There is no medical evidence to back up the claim that eggs scrambled by shaking are not safe to eat. You don’t have to worry about the egg becoming unhygienic – it’s just as hygienic as it was before you shook it. 

Eggs scrambled by shaking are safe to eat.
Eggs scrambled by shaking are safe to eat.

Make the Golden Egg the Easy Way

Oh, if I haven’t mentioned until now, a boiled, scrambled egg is known as a golden egg due to its appearance. The yolk combines with the albumen giving the whole egg a golden color.

Coming back to the point, there is a machine that does the work for you – the Golden Goose Egg Maker. It does (or at least claims to) exactly what the name suggests.

The working principle is the same that I shared in a previous section. The contraption is affordable as well, so I would definitely recommend this (provided you’ve tried scrambling it manually).

Even with this contraption, not all eggs will scramble. Don’t be surprised if this happens.

Frequently Asked Questions to If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble?

Is It Easy to Scramble An Egg By Shaking?

It is extremely hard to do so, and you’d be one heck of a lucky person if you do succeed.

Is It Possible To Crush An Egg With One Hand?

It is not possible to crush an egg with one hand since force will be distributed over a large area instead of concentrating on a small patch.

Conclusion to If You Shake An Egg Will It Scramble?

Shaking an egg may cause it to scramble, depending on how you shake it, the amount of free air inside the egg, and the temperature of the egg.

The higher the temperature of the egg and the more free air inside, the greater the chances of scrambling it. There are also contraptions invented like the Golden Goose Egg Maker, that helps make this process easier.