Science Class: Fun Food Projects

Todd Plitt
Magnetic Cereal:
Pour about 1/2 cup of breakfast cereal into a ziptop bag; use the cereal with the highest iron content you can find--iron-fortified cereals work best! Then, fill the bag about three-quarters of the way with water and let it sit for about an hour.
After an hour, place a strong magnet in your hand, then put the bag of cereal on top of the magnet and swish the bag around for 15 to 20 seconds. This will help collect the most iron possible. Last, flip the bag over so the magnet is on top. Lift the magnet about half an inch and move it around to see the iron filings follow it. This is the actual iron from your cereal!
Magic Milk:
Using a large, round, flat dish, pour in just enough half-and-half to cover the bottom of it; milk works too, but the more fat there is, the more exciting this will be! Put drops of food coloring all around the dish, with more dots near the center. Dip a cotton swab or sponge strip in a little bit of dish soap, then stick it in the center of the dish. Watch what happens!
Cabbage Juice:
Boil water, then soak red cabbage in the water for about 10 minutes. Fill 5 glasses about halfway with liquids of varying pH levels. We used baking soda, vinegar, a sports drink, stevia and milk of magnesia, but you can test whatever you want! Pour some of the cabbage juice into each of the glasses and watch it change colors! The cabbage juice will turn pink or red in acidic solutions, purple in neutral ones and blue or green in basic ones.