Science is Magic

If you always wanted magic powers

at your fingertips, this is the trick for you.

Knowing the secret of stretchy water enables

you to repel, or push away, pepper at will...

SCIENCE

PART...

THE

POPPING A BALLOON

Water has a property called

surface tension that makes the

top layer stretchy like a balloon.

Dish soap reduces the

surface tension, so putting

a soapy finger in water is

like popping a balloon with

a pin—the stretchy surface

pulls back, carrying the

pepper with it.

P

E

P

P

ER

• REPELLIN
  G

(^) F

IN

G

E

R

YOU WILL NEED

• 
  

Dinner plate

• 
  

Jug of water

• 
  

Black pepper grinder

• 
  

Dish soap

• 
  

Your finger!

Pour some water

onto a dinner

plate until it’s

almost at the

top of the rim.

1

Grind some black

pepper onto the water

(^2) so it’s evenly spread.
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US_044-045_Pepper_Repelling_finger.indd 44 12/09/2018 15:49