The magic egg!

Take two tall glasses or mason jars, fill one and half fill the other with water. In the half-filled glass pour a few tablespoonfuls of salt. When the salt is dissolved, and has turned the water into brine, fill the remainder of the glass with clear water, pouring it in slowly down the side of the glass, so as not to disturb the brine. Then take the two glasses and an egg before your audience. Drop the egg in the glass of clear water, and it will sink to the bottom. Drop it in the glass containing the brine, and it will float midway in the glass, supported by the brine. Both glasses appear to hold clear water, and it is mystifying to onlookers as to why the egg should stop midway in one glass!

Hairy Ice Trick...





Bet your buddy that she can't pick up an ice cube with a human hair!



Solution: place the hair on top of the ice and sprinkle some salt on it. Let it sit for a few seconds. The salt will cause the ice to melt and refreeze around the hair. Grab an end of the hair and pick up the ice cube.



...Pepper Trick!



Materials:

You only need a few common kitchen ingredients to perform this science magic trick.

•black pepper

•water

•dishwashing liquid

•plate or bowl

Pour water into a plate or bowl, shake some pepper onto the water. If you dip your finger into the pepper and water, nothing much happens.

If you put a drop of dishwashing liquid on your finger and then dip it into the pepper and water the pepper will rush to the outer edges of the dish. If you are doing this as a 'trick' then you might have one finger that is clean and another finger that you dipped in detergent before performing the trick!

How does it work?

When you add detergent to water the surface tension of the water is lowered. Water normally bulges up a bit, like what you see when you look at a water drop. When the surface tension is lowered, the water wants to spread out. As the water flattens on the dish, the pepper that is floating on top of the water is carried to the outer edge of the plate as if by magic.

And now? Let's have fun with Science!