Hooked on Science: Magnetic cereal

What did you eat for breakfast this morning? You might want to double check. Using a few materials from around the house, you can discover why you might need a hammer with your next bowl of cereal.

Materials

* Total cereal

* Ziploc bag

* Water

* Neodymium magnet

Instructions

STEP 1: Pour two cups of Total cereal into the Ziploc bag.

STEP 2: Using your hands, crush the cereal into tiny pieces.

STEP 3: Pour water into the bag. Using your hands, mix the water and the cereal.

STEP 4: Rub the neodymium magnet against the bag until you see black pieces of iron appear.

Explanation

Total cereal contains bits of iron. The neodymium magnet is strong enough to pull the iron out of the Total cereal. Iron helps the body make hemoglobin in the blood, which carries oxygen to cells throughout the body. The average adult has enough iron inside their body to create two small nails.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.