How would you feel about having a bowl full of nails for breakfast? Okay, the shape might be a problem - so how about eating a bowl full of iron shavings? Believe it or not, some breakfast cereals contain actual iron shavings - on purpose! Read on to find out how to extract them from your cereal.
Warning: Do not eat the extracted iron. What you Need
•Cereal such as Total® (must be high in iron)
•Strong magnet
•Water
•Blender
•Plastic cup
•Plastic spoon (or other plastic utensil)
•White paper towels or napkins
What to Do
1.Pour equal amounts of cereal and water into the blender (1 cup of each is fine). Blend the mixture until it looks like a smooth, soupy mess.
2.Tape your magnet to the handle end of a plastic spoon so that part of the magnet hangs off the end of the spoon.
3.Pour some of the mixture into a plastic cup and gently stir with the magnet-end of the spoon for about 5 minutes.
4.Take out the magnet and let the excess mixture drip off or rinse it off lightly with water. Then wipe the magnet on a white paper towel - you should see small shavings of iron! If you don't see the iron you may need to blend the mixture more or try a stronger magnet.
What’s Going On?
The top question on your mind is probably, "Why are there iron shavings in my cereal?" Your body needs iron to survive. This is because red blood cells need iron to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body - and our bodies need oxygen to function! Red blood cells are constantly being replaced, so we need to intake iron often. A deficiency of iron, called anemia, can cause people to be weak, tired, have trouble concentrating, and be more likely to get infections.
Iron can be sprayed onto the flakes or added as a powder to the mixture.
Magnets apply forces on other magnetic objects, like iron nails and the iron shavings in your cereal.
Because some people don't get enough natural iron in their diets (commonly found in red meat and green, leafy vegetables), iron is often added to foods like cereal and infant formula. These foods are usually marked "iron fortified." Small pieces of iron are added to fortified cereal along with the rest of the ingredients, and the iron added to your cereal is the same iron that is used to make nails!
Warning: Do not eat the extracted iron. What you Need
•Cereal such as Total® (must be high in iron)
•Strong magnet
•Water
•Blender
•Plastic cup
•Plastic spoon (or other plastic utensil)
•White paper towels or napkins
What to Do
1.Pour equal amounts of cereal and water into the blender (1 cup of each is fine). Blend the mixture until it looks like a smooth, soupy mess.
2.Tape your magnet to the handle end of a plastic spoon so that part of the magnet hangs off the end of the spoon.
3.Pour some of the mixture into a plastic cup and gently stir with the magnet-end of the spoon for about 5 minutes.
4.Take out the magnet and let the excess mixture drip off or rinse it off lightly with water. Then wipe the magnet on a white paper towel - you should see small shavings of iron! If you don't see the iron you may need to blend the mixture more or try a stronger magnet.
What’s Going On?
The top question on your mind is probably, "Why are there iron shavings in my cereal?" Your body needs iron to survive. This is because red blood cells need iron to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body - and our bodies need oxygen to function! Red blood cells are constantly being replaced, so we need to intake iron often. A deficiency of iron, called anemia, can cause people to be weak, tired, have trouble concentrating, and be more likely to get infections.
Iron can be sprayed onto the flakes or added as a powder to the mixture.
Magnets apply forces on other magnetic objects, like iron nails and the iron shavings in your cereal.
Because some people don't get enough natural iron in their diets (commonly found in red meat and green, leafy vegetables), iron is often added to foods like cereal and infant formula. These foods are usually marked "iron fortified." Small pieces of iron are added to fortified cereal along with the rest of the ingredients, and the iron added to your cereal is the same iron that is used to make nails!
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