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Want a magic coin trick that doubles as a science experiment for kids? Try The Magical Jumping Coin! It's simple and fun.
First chill a glass bottle and a coin by placing them in cold water. Place the coin on top of the bottle. Wrap your hands around the bottle and wait. The coin will jump up off the bottle! The reason is that the warm air created with your hands pushes upward with more strength than cold air, making the coin jump!
For younger kids, the experiment itself doesn't provide hours of entertainment, but a bowl of water, a coin and a bottle do! We did end up with a wet table, though. Good thing cloth diapers are very absorbent.
Thanks for the science link...hadn't seen that one and will check it out. I wonder if the experiment will work with other coins?
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Our familysays
Do you need to just a plastic bottle or a glass one? Looks fun. I'm limited to time on the net as I'm doing the "turn off week", no television so far, easy, but the net is a hard habit to kick.
Maria
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Mom and Kiddosays
I tried it with a plastic bottle, too. It seemed to work better with glass.
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MoziEsmésays
Looks like an interesting one! Though I think my kid would enjoy the water play best, too!
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cathysays
I'm always looking for good, easy science experiments to do with my kids. This one looks great!
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Amy @ Sunlit Pagessays
Awesome! I'm pinning this one to use in our preschool co-op this year!
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Erica MomandKiddosays
I hope you have fun with it!
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Dulciesays
I'm going to give this a try. Thanks. Nana to three.
A gravity flipper is one in which the insert piece opens more easily. You can open this coin with one hand. Pro Flipper. A “pro” flipper is one of superior quality, with even more careful precision.
A gravity flipper is one in which the insert piece opens more easily. You can open this coin with one hand. Pro Flipper. A “pro” flipper is one of superior quality, with even more careful precision.
USB power is a great substitute for coin batteries if you need more power, want to leave a project turned on, or don't want to keep switching out batteries. It's also useful for creating collaborative projects that combine many small circuits into a larger display. A coin cell battery is powering this circuit.
TOM: It's based on the theory of sacrificial anodes, in which you “sacrifice” a more reactive metal — copper, in the case of pre-1983 pennies — to protect a second, less reactive metal — the lead battery terminal and connector.
When you insert batteries, just match the negative end to the spring and the positive end to the flat side. In this case, you'll place the negative, flat sides of the batteries against the springs.
The behaviour of the coin can be explained by the concept of thermal expansion. Thermal expansion happens when heat is applied to matter. When subjected to heat, the matter changes in volume as its particles begin to move around.
In this magic trick you take a coin and place it under a clear, empty drinking glass. The spectators can still see the coin clearly through the glass. Then you slowly pour normal water into the glass and as it fills up, the coin vanishes.
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Wrap your hands around the bottle and wait. 
