Liquid Magnets (Creative Chemistry Experiments)

You will need:

1. Vegetable oil
2. Magnet
3. Laser jet toner (available
   at your local xerox shop)
4. Transparent bowl

Ferro fluids or liquid magnets seem to be
something straight out of a sci-fi movie. The
following experiment shows you how you could
create them at home and impress your friends.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take a transparent bowl (probably one which you are not very fond of as it is about to get spoilt).
2. To the bowl add about 2 tablespoonfuls of the laser jet toner, and 1-2 teaspoonfuls of vegetable oil.
3. Mix the two well.
4. Take your magnet and place it outside the glass bowl near the base, moving it upwards.

RESULT

The iron in the laser jet toner reacts to the magnet on the
outside. It tries to align itself creating spikes! As the magnet moves, so does the iron in the solution!