How to do the Tricks

The Disappearing Liquid

In this magic trick, you will mix equal amounts of two liquids and make some of the liquid "disappear." As your audience watches, measure out exactly 50 mL of water and pour it into a clean plastic glass. Then measure out 50 mL of rubbing alcohol and pour it into a second clean plastic glass.

Tell the audience you are going to pour the two liquids into a measuring cup. Ask a member of your audience to predict how full the measuring cup will be when you pour the two liquids together. Have them mark this level on the container. Then pour the water and alcohol into the measuring cup. Your audience will see that the level of the water-alcohol mixture does not come up to the line the person marked on the measuring cup. Some of the liquid is "missing." Where did it go?

The Great Tissue Bust

Ask people if they think they're strong enough to push a broomstick through a tissue. Then surprise them with this trick. Place a tissue over one end of a cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels and hold it in place with a rubber band. Then pour between 7 and 8 centimeters of salt into the tube. Challenge a member of the audience to break the tissue by pushing a wooden dowel or section of broomstick into the open end of the tube. Chances are they won't be able to do it.

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