New Scientist Books Why do boys have nipples?
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IRON FROM YOUR
BREAKFAST CEREAL
Breakfast cereals often claim to be
fortified with iron. Well, are they?
They are and, more amazingly, if
you have a magnet you can extract it
too! So ponder the ingredients list on
your packet of cornflakes while you
are munching breakfast, and then set
about removing one of them...
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- breakfast cereal fortified with
iron (cornflakes work, but check
on the side of the packet to see
what the iron content is – the
higher, the better)
- a plastic cup
- a spoon or pestle to crush the
cereal (better still, a blender)
- hot water
- a very strong magnet
- clean white paper
- a clear, sealable plastic sandwich bag
WHAT DO I DO?
Fill the cup to about two-thirds full with cereal,
and with the spoon or pestle crush the cereal into
a fine powder. It is worth spending a lot of time
on this stage – the finer the powder, the better.Put the crushed cereal into the sandwich bag
and add hot water. Leave the mixture for about
15 to 20 minutes. Now gently tilt the bag
forward so that the cereal collects on one side,
and place the magnet along the outside of the
bag near the cereal, running it over the bottom,
because the iron tends to sink. Tilt the bag back
so that the cereal runs away from the magnet.
You can also lay the bag flat on the table and
stroke it with the magnet towards one corner.Alternatively, if you are using a blender, put
the cereal straight into the blender and add hot
water until the cereal is submerged. Wait for
about 15 to 20 minutes until the cereal is soft,
then blend it all together. While the blender is
whirring, place the magnet on the outside of the
blender near the mixture, and keep it there as
you turn the blender off.