Why does an egg deflate-shrink after being put into syrup?

An egg doesn't actually deflate or shrink when placed in syrup. Instead, it undergoes a process called osmosis.

Here's what happens:

1. Syrup is hypertonic: Syrup has a higher concentration of dissolved sugar molecules compared to the inside of the egg. This means there are more sugar molecules outside the egg than inside.

2. Water moves from high to low concentration: To balance out the concentration difference, water molecules move from the inside of the egg (where the concentration of water is higher) to the outside (the syrup, where the concentration of water is lower).

3. Egg shrinks: As water leaves the egg, it loses volume and appears to shrink. This is why the egg feels less firm and may even crack.

In short, the egg doesn't "deflate" in the sense of losing air; it loses water due to osmosis.