You don't have to be a master magician to pull off this magic trick. In fact, you can pull off five magic tricks — using salt — and a little science.
As a follow-up to the 8 Science Tricks With Water, our pals at BuzzFeed give us, Salt Tricks That Look Like Magic. In the video, they cover some basic tricks, like how to turn salt into sugar and how to make salt and pepper gravitate using a spoon. But it all leads up to the grand finale, in which they show you how to amaze your friends by growing a crystal tree out of common table salt and a few other ingredients available from the grocery store.
You begin by simply combining common ingredients (salt, water, Mrs. Stewart's Bluing, food coloring, and ammonia) in a bowl. (*Please note that when pouring in the ammonia, you should avoid contact with skin and not inhale.) You put the cardboard tree cutout into the bowl and then watch as science takes over. Suddenly, the salt recrystallizes into beautiful, delicate, coral-like formations. In no time, you have a magically colorful, snow-covered tree. How cool is that?! While the video shows a time-lapse version, it typically takes about 10–12 hours for the magic crystal tree to grow.
For those wanting to know how it works: the crystals are formed by salt molecules joining together as the liquid evaporates into the air. These simple tricks are sure to impress your friends and make you the coolest person at any party — all thanks to science.
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