Can you snare an ice cube with a piece of string and lift the cube from the glass?

Float an ice cube in a glass of water. Take a string and tie a loop in one end, then invite your friends to try their luck. They will fail, because looping the ice cube is just about impossible.

When they give up, show how it can be done. Simply let the wet loop rest on the ice cube. Sprinkle a little salt on the ice. The surface will melt and then freeze again, with the string embedded in the ice cube. (It takes a little time for the surface to freeze again, so don't be too hasty with this trick.)

Now lift the string carefully by the free end, and you can draw the ice cube out of the glass.

Materials: Salt shaker, string with a loop, cube of ice, and a glass of water.

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