Kitchen chemistry experiments

[Birt]

Hi All
Is there any fairly simple chemistry experiments that can be done as a party trick or something. I dont want explosions or anything jsut something that makes you go wow and uses fairly easily available ingredients/equipment

[CosmoK]

if you get a 1.5 litre bottle of coke and drop one 'mentos' sweet in. Be sure bottle of coke is on newspaper. and not nice new carpet. Its called the 'coke geezar'.

[brachiopod]

Are we talking "adult-party-science-experiment-wow-factor", or "kiddies'-party-simple-science-experiment-wow-factor"?

If the former, how about "The burning �5* note trick"? Take the note off them, set it alight and watch their faces as it burns brightly in front of them.

* - Use a �10, �20 or �50 note as appropriate as to how rich / impressionable or 'impressable' your friends are.

Get back to me if you want the details - you may need some ethanol (alcohol!) to hand.
(Like that's a problem at a party....)

[Birt]

Its more of a adults party science experiment wow factor. As u say ethanol shouldnt be a problem. The buring note trick sounds expensive im intrigued.

[chakka35]

Put a tot of whisky in one glass and a tot of water in another. Tell your audience that you are going to put both liquids into one glass and then drink just one of them according to their choice. Take a clean handkerchief and lay it down the inner side of the water glass until it just touches the water. Gently pour the whisky down the handkerchief so that it settles on top of the water as a separate layer. Remove the handkerchief.
When you ask them which they want you to drink they will naturally say "The water!" because it's underneath the whisky. So you take a short straw from your top pocket, push it through the whisky and drink the water.

[Andyvon]

Here's an old one that stumps people at first.

Take an empty glass bottle such as a coke or milk bottle and stand it upright on the table. Then place a 2p piece flat on top to cover the hole - but make sure the underside of the coin is wet beforehand. That ensures an airtight seal between the coin and the neck of the bottle.Then place both hands around the bottle.

Once you are holding the bottle upright between your palms ask your guests how you can lift the coin from the top of the bottle without touching it. After a few cynical comments your guests will say they don't know. Then just tell them to watch the coin. After a few seconds more the coin will suddenly lift up and then start flipping up and down on top of the bottle.

The reason is that while your guests are thinking about the question and some answers, your hands will have been warming the air inside the bottle. It gradually expands until there is sufficient pressure to push its way past the coin. The coin then flips up and down as the air keeps expanding and escaping. However, you must have a good seal between the coin and the bottle hole. Also bear in mind that it takes the air about a minute to expand enough at first once you have started to hold the bottle.