The Amazing Mineral Magic Show

Wowing Kids & Adults Alike!

- JIM BRACE-THOMPSON

Many minerals exhibit fascinating special effects that are no less than magical. You've likely heard of some, like magnetism or fluorescence. Minerals exhibiting such properties are fun not just to collect, but also to play with and share. To illustrate special effects, I've pulled together demonstrations I've dubbed "The Amazing Mineral Magic Show." Here's how you, too, can provide fun for rock club kids, gem show visitors, students during classroom visits, or kids, parents, and teachers in an attention-grabbing Science Night booth.

MAGNETISM: FEEL THE PULL!

We've all had fun with magnets. Place them near a steel surface, and they literally jump from your hand. They attract and repel other magnets, letting you flip one around with another without them touching. Magnets perform such stunts because they produce a field of force a magnetic field-caused by the movement of electrons.

Magnetic minerals have a common denominator: iron. But not all iron minerals are magnetic. To illustrate, set a compass on a table and pass a chunk of hematite over it. Nothing happens. Pass magnetite over it, and the compass needle goes wild. Magnetic minerals come in two basic sorts. Most common are those attracted to a magnet, with magnetite as the prime example. A second is naturally magnetized. That is, it's a magnet itself, as with a variety of magnetite called lodestone. Show kids how magnets stick to both magnetite and lodestone, but only lodestone picks up paperclips.