This is a phenomenon completely new to me, and intriguing in that rather ordinary compounds and apparatus are called for. Plus there is a video clip
depicting the apple being lifted over 10 cm into thin air and held aloft for several seconds by an unseen force, apparently acting from the reaction
mixture in a kitchen measuring cup.
Since I fancy myself a scientist, I must keep an open mind. Right off the top of my head, I am at a loss to explain or even speculate upon the nature
of a hyperdense gaseous fluid capable of floating an apple at STP. It is even more difficult for to imagine how such conditions might be generated by
an aqueous mixture of yeast, salt, alum, and water set to boil on a kitchen stove. My initial impression is that this is total bullshit.
I will try to restrain myself from trying to replicate this, until I've seen some feedback from some of you, who I'm sure are much more knowledgable
of this unusual chemistry. I must admit, however, that my level of skepticism is high.
Is it bogus? Or is this some new kind of bizarro chemistry? That is for you to decide. Either way, It's pretty damn hilarious, I think.
bereal511 - 17-11-2006 at 21:43
*cough* Movie Magic *cough*Pyrovus - 17-11-2006 at 23:40
I think this quote demonstrates how credible that is.
Quote:
So why do we have to use an apple? All fruits contain a substance called pectin which is concentrated in their skins. When heated, this pectin changes
into a form which, chemically, is almost identical to helium.
Not only aren't there any organic compounds with chemical properties remotely resembling those of helium, the guy is clearly confusing physical and
chemical properties. If you make something become chemically similar to helium, that doesn't mean it's going to suddenly start having the same
mass as helium. The apple wouldn't suddenly become magically lighter if you were to alter it's chemical makeup.
[Edited on 18-11-2006 by Pyrovus]unionised - 18-11-2006 at 09:45
It's bogus, but it's quite a nice spoof video.b_d_Dom - 18-11-2006 at 10:00
It's not hard to determine that it is fake, just enter the name of the person they say discovered it into google and it becomes fairly clear when all
the hits are in Chinese.unionised - 19-11-2006 at 06:05
By that "logic" most Chinese websites are fake. That looks a bit xenophobic to me.b_d_Dom - 19-11-2006 at 06:58
Well do the search!
There is one English hit, the website that made it up, and the rest are just Chinese sites that copied that one and translated it to Chinese.unionised - 19-11-2006 at 09:28
Why bother?
I'm quite happy to believe you when you say almost all the hits are in Chinese.
If I could be bothered to find a Chinese "phone book" site all the hits would be in Chinese- it does not follow that the phone book is a spoof.Waffles - 19-11-2006 at 11:54
How is it not immediately obvious that the apple is on a string? It spins around on one axis heh…ordenblitz - 19-11-2006 at 12:18
If the magic solution contains 3 tbsp brewer's yeast.. how come its perfectly clear and not tan/brown?DrP - 20-11-2006 at 01:21
It's called 'the floating apple "TRICK" 'chemoleo - 20-11-2006 at 19:40
I'd like to see a vapour that has a density greater than the density of an apple, which, since it just floats in water, has to be greater than 0.9.
Which gas, what vapour, has a density of >0.9, at temps up to 100 deg C (boiling water)?
Also, the apple rises from the liquor...meaning that the density of the liquor goes WAY greater than that of the apple, meaning that the density of
the liquid changes *massively* during the heating process (> 5-fold). It'd have to be almost liquid mercury to lift the apple up the way it does.
Not to mention the hovering, which is even more ridiculous.
It's bullshit for sure.
Nice trick though. I still can't believe though that people waste their time in foolery, targeting mainly people who are prinicipally geeks and just
want to learn more.
[Edited on 21-11-2006 by chemoleo]Elawr - 21-11-2006 at 08:12
