Simple Water Science Magic Tricks

Use science to perform some simple water magic tricks. Get water to change colors and forms and to move in mysterious ways.

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Anti-Gravity Water Trick

A drop of water splashing up from a small puddle. — Tim Oram / Getty Images

Pour water into a glass. Cover the glass with a wet cloth. Flip the glass and the water won't pour out. This is a simple trick that works because of water surface tension.

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Supercool Water

Ice in the shape of water color. — Momoko Takeda / Getty Images

You can chill water below its freezing point without having it turn into ice. Then, when you are ready, pour the water or shake and watch it crystallize before your eyes.

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Bend a Stream of Water

Person holding comb next to stream of water. — ThoughtCo

Cause a stream of water to bend by applying an electrical field near the water. How do you do this without electrocuting yourself? Simply run a plastic comb through your hair.

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Turn Water into Wine or Blood

Glass of wine. — Tetra Images / Getty Images

This classic water magic trick involves making a glass of "water" appear to change into blood or wine. The color change may be reversed by blowing into the red liquid through a straw.

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You Really Can Walk on Water

Person running on watery sand. — Thomas Barwick / Getty Images

Can you walk on water? It turns out the answer is yes if you know what to do. Ordinarily, a person sinks in water. If you change water's viscosity, you can stay on the surface.

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Fire and Water Magic Trick

Pour water into a plate, place a lit match in the center of the dish and cover the match with a glass. The water will be drawn into the glass, as if by magic.

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Turn Boiling Water Into Instant Snow

Snow being blown over a hill. — Zefram / Creative Commons License

This water science trick is as easy as throwing boiling water into the air and watching it instantly change into snow. All you need is boiling water and really cold air. This is simple if you have access to an extremely cold winter day. Otherwise, you'll want to find a deep freeze or perhaps the air around liquid nitrogen.

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Cloud in a Bottle Trick

Cloud in a glass next to rocks. — Ian Sanderson / Getty Images

You can cause a cloud of water vapor to form inside a plastic bottle—like magic. Smoke particles serve as nuclei on which the water can condense.

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Water and Pepper Magic Trick

Person touching a bowl of soapy liquid. — ThoughtCo

Sprinkle pepper onto a dish of water. The pepper will spread out evenly across the surface of the water. Dip your finger into the dish. Nothing happens (except your finger gets wet and coated with pepper). Dip your finger in again and watch the pepper scatter away across the water.

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Ketchup Packet Cartesian Diver

Ketchup bag in water bottle. — ThoughtCo

Place a ketchup packet in a water bottle and cause the ketchup packet to rise and fall at your command. This water magic trick is called the Cartesian Diver.

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Water and Whiskey Trading Places

Coaster between two shot glasses. — ThoughtCo

Take a shot glass of water and one of whiskey (or another colored liquid). Place a card over the water to cover it. Flip the water glass so that it is directly over the glass of whiskey. Slowly remove a bit of the card so the liquids can interact, and watch the water and whiskey swap glasses.

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Trick to Tie Water in Knots

Waterfalls over pool with algae. — Sara Winter / Getty Images

Press streams of water together with your fingers and watch the water tie itself into a knot where the streams won't separate again on their own. This water magic trick illustrates the cohesiveness of water molecules and the compound's high surface tension.

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Blue Bottle Science Trick

Beaker of Blue Liquid. — Alice Edward / Getty Images

Take a bottle of blue liquid and make it appear to turn into water. Swirl the liquid and watch it turn blue again.

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Wire Through an Ice Cube

Line of icicles. — JudiLen / Getty Images

Pull a wire through an ice cube without breaking the ice cube. This trick works because of a process called regelation. The wire melts the ice, but the cube refreezes behind the wire as it passes.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Simple Water Science Magic Tricks." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/simple-water-science-magic-tricks-606071. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2023, April 5). Simple Water Science Magic Tricks. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/simple-water-science-magic-tricks-606071 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Simple Water Science Magic Tricks." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/simple-water-science-magic-tricks-606071 (accessed June 5, 2023).