Simple Saturday: Sandwich a la Liquid

Today's activity couldn't be easier or more fun. You've got the goods, right? The clear bottle, water, funnel, cooking oil, glycerin, and food coloring?

To make a Liquid Sandwich use the funnel to fill the bottle one third full with water. Drip 4 or 5 fat drops of food coloring directly into the water.  Fill the bottle another third of the way with the glycerin and lastly with the cooking oil. That's it! What could be simpler?

Look at the way the liquids separate, will you? Like a liquid sandwich, wouldn't you say? The bottom layer is oh, so glycerin clear. The middle layer is oceanic blue topped of with sunny golden cooking oil. Kind of poetic, isn't it?

A word of warning, though. To keep these distinct layers separate you will need to handle your Liquid Sandwich with care. I wouldn't shake it up, if I were you. When it gets shaken the glycerin mixes with the water. The end result is something like the Ocean in the Bottle we made a few weeks ago. It's cool and still fun to play with, but the clear glycerin layer is gone...or is it? 

Where does it go? Why does this mixing of liquid layers happen, you ask? What is your hypothesis? Something to do with the molecular structure of the  liquids, I'll bet. You think?

You know, my Simple Saturday friend, this activity would make a dynamite project for your school Science Fair. Of course, you would have to do a wee bit of research to explain the scientific reasoning behind the liquid separation. Wouldn't it be fun to study the science behind an activity as fascinating as this one?

Isn't that what the scientific process is all about? To find out more about something that interests us? Don't we state our hypothesis, or our own reason why we think something is happening, and then set out to prove it?

Well, go for it, Einstein. Let me now what you find out!

Simple Saturday Prep: The Liquid Sandwich

A sandwich is all about layers, right? Yummy stuff layered between two or more slices of bread. Something hearty you can sink your teeth into...substantive, scrumptious, splendiferous.

Well, forget about a sandwich like that one. Tomorrow's will be one of the liquid variety. Liquid, you ask? How can that be? Gather up the following materials and I'll show you what I mean. You'll need a clear bottle, water, a funnel, cooking oil, food coloring, and some glycerin (You can buy glycerin at the pharmacy for cheapo. In fact, a while back we used some to make Monster Bubbles, remember? You might have a some left over from that project. I did.).

See you tomorrow! We'll have some simple fun then.

A Magical Simple Saturday: Water, Water, Where'd You Go?

Ready whip up some magic? To make Merlin proud? I am.

Nobody saw you getting the supplies, did they? The magazine, the Ziplock bag, a stapler, and a glass of water? Whew. That was close.

I opted for a measuring cup of water...easier to pour. And I have asked my dear friend Martha Stewart to be my assistant today. I thought the cover picture of her pouring water suits our venture perfectly, don't you?

So, in typical Simple Saturday style, all we are doing to make this trick is concealing the Ziplock inside the magazine. That's it! Simple, right? Las Vegas, here we come!!!!

Find the middle of the magazine. Open wide. Fit the Ziplock inside. In order to fit mine in nicely, I had to staple a little tuck on one side of the bag. You may need to do the same thing. Also, you might need to tuck the bottom of the bag up a little so that it can't be seen from the bottom edge of the magazine. 

Now secure the Ziplock to the inside of the magazine by stapling all around the top edge of the bag. We're making a plastic pocket inside the magazine, aren't we? Tuck the bottom of the Ziplock up to fit inside the pocket. Avoid stapling the bottom of the bag to the magazine. (Dribble. Dribble.)

Look at my final product. My sneakiness is concealed. I'm now ready to make a little "magic." Remember, my Simple Saturday friend, we mustn't tell a soul how we have made this trick. We want our audience to be spellbound...mermerized...bamboozled!

For demonstration purposes I have asked my hubby John to perform the trick for us. (I can't keep any secrets from him.) Watch what he does. This is how you will perform our trick. Be confident, now. Begin your performance by saying something like, Ladies and Gentleman! Today I shall astound you! Confound you! And so on...You know the magician lingo, right?

In this picture John is explaining that in his hands he holds an average everyday magazine. Nothing special here. (Heh, heh...we know differently, don't we?)

At this point you might like to wave your hand around the magazine while chanting your magic word a few times. We want our audience to think that the magic word has changed the Martha's magazine, not us.

Next, sneaky John forms an opening in the top of the Ziplock and then pours the water into the "magazine". See how dramatic (or silly) he is? You have to do the same thing. Convince your audience! We want them to be concerned that you'll spill that water all over Mom's kitchen floor. Yikes!!!

In this picture, John is proving his magical skills. He is faking a test, further baffling the audience. They're thinking, "How did he do that? Amazing...Water, water, where did you go?"

We know where it went...don't we? There's no real Hocus Pocus, right? But remember the Simple Saturday Magician's Code of Honor? We pinky swore yesterday...shhh.

Simple Saturday Prep: Hocus Pockus, Alakazam!

Do you believe in magic? If you don't already, you will tomorrow after I show you how to do the amazing, stupefying, mesmerizing, best-trick-of-all-time...Water? Water? Where'd you go?

Before I can go any farther with this trick, you and I need to have a little chat. Move in close. Come on. Close enough to hear my whisper. 

We magicians are a secret society. What happens under the top hat stays under the top hat. You see, I'm risking my Magician's Code of Honor by teaching you this trick. You  have to swear on a bushel of magic wands that you will not tell ANYONE the secret I'll be emparting to you tomorrow. Promise? Pinky swear? On your Bibbety-Boppity-Boo Honor?

I'm serious about this...really. You with me? Okay, then. Let's do it.

I'm not usually an advocate for sneaking around, but I'll make an exception in this case. We simply cannot get found out! Tippy-toe around the house to gather up a old magazine (Dad's Sports Illustrated? Hmm...not a good idea), a quart sized Ziplock bag, a stapler, and a glass of water.

Oh! This is important! Be thinking of a secret magic word. Something mysterious...mystical...marvelous... Email it to me. I'd love to hear what you come up with!!

Until tomorrow...Alakazam!!!