Magic Sand Wand Puzzle
$5.99
Product Code: 1456
The Magic Sand Wand Puzzle is a clear acrylic wand that is partially filled with brightly colored sand and a chrome steel ball. The trick is to get the ball from one end of the wand to the other through the sand. It may sound easy, but it's not. This brain-teaser has even stumped engineers and physicists. Take a fun break from work and keep your mind sharp trying to solve the Magic Sand Wand Puzzle.
9.25" long x .75" diameter, clear acrylic wand with a chrome metal ball and brightly colored sand inside. Solution included in instructions.
Assorted Colors **Packaged Randomly**
This item comes in assorted sand colors, including green, orange, red, pink and purple.
WARNING: Choking Hazard - This toy contains a small ball. Not for children under 3 years.
The trick is to get the ball from one end of the wand to the other, through the sand. One might think that since the steel ball is much more dense than the sand, it will sink to the bottom when the sand is agitated.
The opposite is actually true: Hold the wand vertically with the ball at or near the bottom. As you shake the wand up and down, the ball will actually rise through the column of sand. Each time the wand is jerked upwards, both the ball and the sand move up at the same speed. Because the sand particles are lighter and smaller, they experience greater relative friction than the steel ball when rubbing against each other. This causes the sand particles to slow down faster.
After each shake, more sand particles are packed underneath the steel ball, until it magically emerges from beneath the sand.
