Brain Teasers
The Magic Ball
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
There was a magic show. A man put a solid metal ball under an opaque cover. After a while, he took the cover off of the ball and there was nothing left but some liquid.
What happened?
What happened?
Answer
It was a ball of gallium at 80F. After the ball was heated to 85F, it melted and became a liquid. Gallium's melting point is 85F.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
Or water... or any other matter that is liquid at room temperature and solid at not too extreme low temperatures.
I'm guessing the magician isn't going to live past 40, doing tricks with mercury.
according to... the bottom comment... water isnt opaque
re: the last comment - ya, magician to mad hatter...
Anyway, I guessed a snowball - at any rate, it sounds like we all came to the same chilling conclusion - what I want to know is, what kind of a "get a life" audience is gonna sit there and wait for something to MELT?
(I can just picture it - then the magician says, "Ta Da!!!"
Anyway, I guessed a snowball - at any rate, it sounds like we all came to the same chilling conclusion - what I want to know is, what kind of a "get a life" audience is gonna sit there and wait for something to MELT?
(I can just picture it - then the magician says, "Ta Da!!!"
It is maybe carved ice
ice is opaque
Hg is too dangerous to try this with. Instead use Ga (Gallium) which is also a metal (by the way this question would be better if it said a metal ball) and freezes at room temp and melts in your hand. So you would just put the gallium ball in your hand, close your hand for a minute or less, and when you open it there would be liquid gallium. TaDa
That's some freezer you got there -38 Degrees C?
Water is not a metal!
I don't get this and isn't there already a brainteaser like this one? If you know, please tell me the answer to either!
Gallium is definitely better for this trick.
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