Magical demonstrations

Science and magic don’t obviously have much in common. One is about the rational investigation of the physical world while the other is about dazzling people with trickery and, for no obvious reason, pulling birds, handkerchiefs and other items out of thin air. However, as most science teachers know, even the most mundane classroom science demonstration has a little magical flair to it. So much so that in my work as a professional science performer, the audience very often refer to my demonstrations as ‘tricks’.

Though when you think about it, the common ground is clear: both science demonstrations and magic tricks aim to surprise. No demonstration would be impressive if everyone expected the outcome. Though it’s important for young chemists to gain an understanding of the dissolution of ionic compounds, you wouldn’t drop a cube of sugar into water, flourish a teaspoon and exclaim, ‘Ta-dah!’ Similarly, elephant’s toothpaste, the most classic of all chemistry demonstrations, wouldn’t be as exciting if the bubbles didn’t keep coming out to ridiculous proportions. The fact that it’s unexpected is what makes it impressive.

And it isn’t just the element of surprise that demos and tricks have in common. The whole structure of a demonstration – the build-up of anticipation, the displaying of simple props, statements like ‘this is just ordinary water …’ – is all in absolute parallel with the setup of a magic trick. The end reactions from your students are the same too, with exclamations of surprise and awe and ‘no way!’ all common after a good demonstration.

So if you’re wondering why one of your demonstrations fell flat, or you simply want to add that little extra something to really get your students talking, here is a short guide on how to bring a little more magic into your lessons.

Neil Monteiro suggests how seven steps to a magic trick can be incorporated into your demo.