TITLE: Refraction tricks

Protocol number: 244

Practical type: DEMO INVESTIGATION OBSERVATION
Last used: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Test Tube Experiment

Kept as Kit – Disappearing test tube/coin Experiment

Small test tube

inside an empty
250 ml glass
beaker.

Small test tube has “Disappeared” Corn oil poured into the 250ml
inside the corn oil. glass beaker.

Apparatus

250 ml glass beaker

Small glass ignition tube (with blue writing on side
Sunflower oil in 500ml beaker. (baby lotion also works)
Visualiser and Jack (optional)

Method

1. Place the test tube into the beaker and view the tube.
2. Slowly add the corn oil into the beaker trying to avoid any going into the test tube
itself.
3. As the beaker fills the coin oil will start to enter the test tube.
4. As it does so the test tube will disappear.
 TITLE: Refraction tricks
Protocol number: 244
Practical type: DEMO INVESTIGATION OBSERVATION
Last used: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

5. This can done using the visualiser positioned on the side of the beaker and use the
blue “Jack” to raise the beaker from the bench surface.

Coin Experiment

Coin not visible

in bottom of
empty beaker

Coin visible in
bottom of
beaker of water

Coin very visible

in beaker of water Coin just
visible

Apparatus
2x 100ml glass beakers covered with plain white paper
2 x 1pence coins
forceps

Method
1. Take both beakers and cover them around their sides with plain white paper.
 TITLE: Refraction tricks
Protocol number: 244
Practical type: DEMO INVESTIGATION OBSERVATION
Last used: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2. Fill one of the beakers to about half full with water and place a single one pence piece
in the bottom directly in the centre of the beaker base
3. In the second beaker place another one pence piece in the bottom directly in the centre
of the beaker base. Note how the coin in the beaker without water appears to sit
further back in the beaker than the beaker that has water in it.