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I finish up my Potions Class show with a request for several TALL 
volunteers (5 or 6 adults).  I make an Exploding Pillow or Automatic 
Alarm Clock for them.  It's a freezer weight single-zip-lock bag plus 
a few dry ice pellets and a little water.  Zip it tight, hold it 
upright but not right under your face, and pass it confidently from 
one person to another.  Bag swells until the zipper opens with a 
bang.  I love the worried looks on the adults' faces and the roar of 
the crowd of kids.

Be sure your victims (er, volunteers) wear safety glasses, and 
caution them NOT to throw the bag in the air when it explodes.

If you use a thin-gauge bag, the bag bursts rather than the zipper 
popping.  Same happens with the new double zipper bags, so look for 
an off-brand with single zipper.  Sliding-zipper bags don't work 
either--you can't re-zip them after the first pop.  Are there any 
more ways for this not to work?

I think Fred and George Weasley would love this trick for the joke shop.

Find lots more HP-themed demonstrations in "The Chemical Wizardry of 
J.K. Rowling," Journal of Chemical Education, 83(10), October 2006, 
pp 1479-83.  I can send you a PDF if you don't have library or 
subscription.  Jane
-- 
Jane Snell Copes	  Science Outside the Box    651-357-3316 (cell)

Science Outside the Box is a tiny business that celebrates the 
scientist in every one of us.  I am a writer and teacher, and I have 
fun with science every single day.  I'm especially fond of designing 
classes and science magic shows for kids and parents.  Website coming 
soon (9/07)

"To be an inventor, you need a good imagination and a big pile of 
junk."  Edison

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