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How to Make a Water Suspension Jug

A magic trick using a jug of water and a playing card can captivate an audience and serve as a teaching tool. The trick relies on surface tension, a property that causes water to behave differently when directly bordering air or a container. The molecules no longer are free flowing as they are throughout the liquid and form tighter bonds across small surfaces or openings to keep the liquid from spilling. Done correctly, an open jug of water can be turned upside-down and not spill.

Things You'll Need

  • Empty jug
  • Playing card
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the empty jug almost to the top with water. Any size container will do, as long as the opening is no more than about 1 inch across.

    • 2

      Place the playing card on top of the water jug and hold it tightly against the opening.

    • 3

      Turn over the water jug, keeping the card in place. Rock the jug slightly to make sure all air has returned to the top of the jug (the bottom portion of the jug, now upside-down).

    • 4

      Remove the playing card by pulling it across the opening of the jug. The water should remain in the jug as a result of surface tension across the opening.

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