A synthetic diamond wafer and an aluminum disk are held between a thumb and forefinger (to provide heat). When pressed against an ice cube, the diamond penetrates more rapidly than does the aluminum.
Butter is used to glue a piece of pasta to each disk. When the edges of the disks are immersed in hot water, the butter on the diamond melts more rapidly, releasing the piece of pasta.
Mercury(II) iodide is heated to convert it from its red low-temperature alpha form to its yellow high-temperature beta form.
Selenium can easily be ground to a powder.
Tin is a relatively soft metal that can be flattened.
Iodine can be ground to coarse grains.
Lead is a relatively soft metal that can be flattened.
A crystal of sodium chloride breaks cleanly when broken parallel to a cleavage plane, but shatters when the knife is placed at an angle to the cleavage plane.
An animation shows why a crystal of sodium chloride breaks along cleavage planes.
A cast iron bomb is completely filled with ice water, then placed into a dry-ice/acetone slush and covered with a wooden box. When the water in the bomb freezes, the cast iron bomb explodes, breaking into several pieces, and destroying the box in which it was placed.
