Iron Cereal

Concept: Magnetism
Magnetism is a physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects. A magnet is an object or device that gives off an invisible external magnetic field. The main material used in metal magnets is iron.

Read Aloud: Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes by Steve Spangler

Ingredients:

      ·         1 cup Total Cereal
      ·         Water
      ·         Ceramic Bar Magnets

      ·         Ziploc Baggies

 Demonstration:

      ·         Pour 1 cup of Total cereal into a Ziploc baggie. Crush the cereal until it becomes a fine powder.

      ·         Fill the baggie ½ full with warm water. Carefully seal the baggie, leaving an air pocket inside.

      ·         Squish the baggie to mix the cereal and water together. Allow the mixture to sit for an hour.

      ·         Put a magnet in the palm of your hand and lay the baggie on its side over the magnet. Place your other hand on top of the baggie and slowly slosh the contents of the baggie in a circular motion for 15 to 20 seconds.

      ·         Flip the baggie and magnet over so the magnet is now on top.

      ·         When small black flecks on the inside of the baggie start to gather around the edges of the magnet, slowly move the magnet in little circles while making sure it continues to touch the baggie.

Experiment:

·         What happens if you use a different brand of cereal?

·         What happens if you don't crush the cereal flakes?

Observations:
Many breakfast cereals are fortified with food-grade iron particles (metallic iron) as a mineral supplement. Total cereal is currently the only major brand of cereal that claims to contain 100% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron. By crushing and dissolving the other ingredients in the cereal, the iron particles are freed up so they can be picked up by the magnet. Metallic iron is digested in the stomach and eventually absorbed in the small intestine.