How to… make a coin disappear

In this bite size experiment you can amaze your friends and family at the dinner table!  Always remember to ask your ask your parent or guardian to help you.

You will need…

A piece of plain white paper (or a white tablecloth) A glass of water A small plate or saucer A coin

Step 1 Place your coin onto your piece of paper or white tablecloth.

Step 2 Place your glass on top of the coin then show your audience how your coin can still be seen, by looking through the glass from above.

Step 3 Then carefully balance the plate on top.

Step 4 Watch your audience gasp at how the coin  vanishes before their eyes. Stand back and enjoy the applause!

How does it work?

We need light to see and we see objects because light reflects off of them and into our eyes.
The light bends each time it hits a substance.  The amount the light bends depends how dense the substance is.  The light reflecting off the coin needs to pass through three substances; water, glass and air. This has caused the light to bend many times and so the image of the coin does not get reflected into our eyes.  It looks as though it has vanished!