Children’s Corner
Are you a budding magician or maybe even fully grown one? Magic tricks are great fun for everyone and often have an element of science involved in their secret methods.
In this trick you will make water totally disappear from a cup. This is based on science so get your goggles on, but don’t worry its very simple.
What everyone else will see is, you pouring some water into a cup and waiting a few moments. Then, when you turn the cup over, nothing will pour out – the water will seem to have disappeared! You don’t need a special cup or water, you can do this easily with any cup in our house that isn’t see through. What’s special is what is inside the cup, which you will keep a secret from your audience
The few things you will need are:
* Sodium polyacrylate
* A mug or a cup that you can’t see through.
* A container – a glass or a jug – from which you can pour water, or a tap nearby.
Before you begin your trick, make sure no one is looking and pour around one tablespoon of sodium polyacrylate into the bottom of your cup.
It would be a good idea to give this experiment a go before you try it in front of anyone. You’ll need to know the balance of the measurement of sodium polyacrylate to the liquid so that all of the water is absorbed.
To expertly execute this trick, follow these steps:
* Prepare your cup.
* Gather your audience.
* Pour water into the cup until it’s about ¼ full.
* Work your ‘Magic’ by waving your hands over the cup – allowing time for the water to be absorbed.
When you think it’s ready, turn the cup upside down to demonstrate that the water has disappeared.
Make sure the audience never catches a glimpse of the inside of your cup, they won’t suspect a thing.
How does it work? The sodium polyacrylate, despite its complicate name, is a simple compound is sold in many forms in DIY shops, gardening shops, or nurseries.
The simple name it often goes under is ‘moisture-saving pellets’. Which is why it is used in disposable nappies, it makes sure babies stay dry.
Sodium polyacrylate are hygroscopic, which means that they absorb and hold moisture, sort of like a sponge. When you mix it with water it turns into a solid gel. This leaves no more liquid in your cup to pour out.
If you can’t source this magic compound, you can replace it by squishing a dry sponge into the bottom of your cup and making sure it wont move. Then pour a little less water in than above and abracadabra – it’s gone.
