Things You Should Know, But Probably Don't

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

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As will green (and presumably black, but why would you DO that?) olives in beer. Which is a tasty treat I've only encountered in the mid-west US.

By ctenotrish, FCD, PhD (not verified) on 29 Nov 2006 #permalink

My 9th grade science teacher grossed all of us out with this little demonstration. Only, instead of raisins, he claimed they were drainage mites that you'd find your plumbing. The bubbles pushing the raisins up were "proof" that these things were alive. He would show us all the graduated cylinder he kept them in, and we would closely examine them (some would claim to see their feet/head/arms/whatever), and then he would lift the cylinder to his lips and drink them all.

A similar experiment can be done with 100 mL of water, 10 mL or so of vinegar, baking soda, and some raisins. The carbon dioxide bubbles attach to the raisins, so the raisins float to the surface, where the bubbles release, and the raisins sink. After awhile, the carbon dioxide production decreases and the raisins absorb water, so the raisin cycling diminishes and then stops.

This works well as a science experiment with 8th graders. It can be used as a great teaching tool in science education classes at the college level, for prospective student teachers.

Chocolate in beer will do the same trick (and is both cheaper and a good reason to buy a lot of both).

Bob

"Raisin cycling." Snicker.

If I have a wedding, and if I have champagne at that wedding, everybody is totally getting a raisin with it. If I want to be really swank I'll even make them golden raisins. I'm quality like that.

Suppose I use 72 raisins?

By Mustafa Mond, FCD (not verified) on 30 Nov 2006 #permalink