Tissandier, Gaston & Henry Frith (Translator): Half Hours of Scientific Amusement ©1890 Ward, Lock & Co., London, NY, Melbourne Hardcover, 141 pages

Image courtesy eBay seller JayAndLefty

Comments: Practical Physics and Chemistry Without Apparatus. Lots of illustrations. Many scientific experiments, some magic related.

Contents:

v Preface

1 Chapter I Properties of Bodies
1 Strength
1 The Halfpenny and the Piece of Paper: gravity and air pressure
2 The Two Pieces of Paper: another gravity experiment
3 To Break a Nut With a Falling Knife: cracking a nut with a falling penknife

4 Elasticity
4 The Unalterable Pellet of Bread: a molded piece of fresh bread can't be crushed

5 Porosity - Permeability
5 A Blotting-Paper Filter: cloudy water becomes clear
5 To Pass Steam Through Cardboard: experiment with two glasses

7 Resistance of Substances
7 As Which Side Will the Match Catch Fire? a match burning puzzle

9 Hardness
9 To Pierce a Halfpenny With a Needle: how to do it

11 Centrifugal Force
11 To Keep a Penny Revolving in a Lamp-Shade: coin rolls on its side
12 Effects of Centrifugal Force: discussion
13 The Sling: principle of operation
14 To Throw a Potato to a Great Height: using a stick

14 The Principle of Inertia
14 A Piece of Money Rolling On an Umbrella: a juggling feat
15 To Cut a Peach With Its Stone Right Through: using two knives
16 Games Based on Inertia: article
18 To Project One or Two Draughtsmen from a Heap of Them: removing a middle checker from a stack
19 The Card and the Coin: flipping a card out from under a coin without disturbing the coin
20 Experiment of Inertia Made with Dominoes
22 The Plate and the Pile of Coppers: dropping coins from a plate in the same order
22 The Money on the Elbow: a physical stunt
24 To Cut an Apple in a Handkerchief Without Injuring the Latter
25 The Stone-Breaker: breaking a stone with the fist
25 To Uncork a Bottle Without a Corkscrew: can be a bit messy

28 Chapter II Equilibrium of Bodies
28 The Centre of Gravity
28 To Balance a Pencil on Its Point: on the end of your finger
29 The Match Puzzle: lifting three matches with a fourth challenge
31 To Poise a Tumbler Upon Three Sticks, Each One of Which Has One End In the Air
32 The Water-Bottle and the Three Knives: another balancing stunt
32 To Suspend a Bucket of Water From a Stick Resting on a Table
34 The Forks and the Coin: balancing two forks on the edge of a glass using a coin
35 Experiment With Dominoes: another balancing stunt
37 How to Sit Without Chairs: an amusing feat for a group of people

38 Chapter III Density, Hydrostatics, etc.
38 Hydrostatics
38 Ascent of Wine in an Inverted Glass of Water: using two glasses
40 The Grape-Seed In the Glass of Champagne: seed rises
40 How To Make a Siphon With a Common Boiled Lobster
41 To Make a Needle Float: in a glass

43 The Movements of Gases
43 Aerial Currents: demonstrated in a warm room with a cold hall and a candle
44 Blowing Out a Candle Behind a Bottle
45 To Revolve a Coin Between Two Pins
46 To Keep a Pea in Equilibrium By Means of a Current of Air: using a straw or a pipe
48 To Make a Plank Adhere to a Table by Means of a Newspaper: a physical strength stunt

49 Resistance of the Air
49 The Australian Boomerang: made from cardboard
51 Whirling Rings: making smoke rings, various approaches

56 Chapter IV Pressure of the Air
56 The Magdeburg Hemispheres: creating a vacuum between two glasses
58 The Sucker: a piece of leather used as a suction cup
59 The Penholder and a Vacuum: a quick demonstration

59 Experiments With Compressed Air
59 To Extinguish a Candle by Means of a Bottle: blowing into a bottle to compress the air
61 The Paper Bag Filled With Air: popping a bag

62 Aeronautics
62 A Montgolfier Balloon: a lit cigarette paper
63 Air and Glass Balloons: blowing bubbles and carrying a tiny figure with them

66 Chapter V Heat
66 The Conductibility of Metals - Dilation of Bodies By Heat
67 A Burning Coal on a Muslin Handkerchief: handkerchief is unharmed
68 To Make Gas Burn Under a Handkerchief: another case where the handkerchief is not harmed
69 The Metal in the Penholder: demonstrating the difference between wood and metal conductivity

70 Dilation of Bodies by Heat
70 The Captive Imp: liquid rises by heat of the hand
72 Linear Dilation: needle bending

73 Chapter VI Light, Optical Illusions, Etc.
73 Refraction
73 The Mirage: using a hot plate
73 How to Make a Florin Appear Like Five Shilling and Sixpence: optical illusion in a glass

75 Vision and Optical Illusions
76 The White and Black Squares: black and white squares cause illusions
76 The Divided Lines: blank lines look longer than divided lines
77 Lines and Angles: illusions related to
78 The Hat Experiment: measuring the height
79 The Three Great Men: which is tallest?
81 The Magic Rings: explanation of finger rings that provide an illusion as they are turned

82 Persistence of Impressions on the Retina
82 The Imp on the Ceiling: a stared at image will appear on the ceiling
84 The Mule Rigolo: a three dimensional illusion
85 The Silhouette Portrats: making portraits of people
86 To Vary the Size of a Halfpenny: distance experiment

88 Chapter VII Electricity and Magnetism
88 The Electrified Pipe: a pipe moves by static electriciy
89 The Paper Puppets: puppets dance under a glass plate
90 The Magician: a magic trick explained where a toy wizard points to the answer card

92 Chapter VIII Chemistry Without a Laboratory
92 Oxygen and Hydrogen: extracting oxygen and hydrogen
95 Air and Its Elements - Carbonic Acid: how to produce it
97 Formation of Salts: combining Sulphuric Acid and Oxide of Sodium producing a harmless salt
98 Instantaneous Crystallization: Glauber salts
99 Tree of Saturn: crystallization of lead
100 To Produce Gas for Lighting Purposes: using a pipe, coal dust, and fire-clay
102 The Graven Eggs: printing on egg shells

104 Chapter IX Mathematical Games
104 The Dice Trick: Magician is able to change the faces of the dice
106 The Tower of Hanoi and the Question of Tonquin: coverage of two mathematical puzzles
111 The Packer's Secret: another puzzle

113 Chapter X Natural Science in the Country
113 Aviary and Aquarium Combined: birds living inside a fish tank
116 A Collar of Nuts: using tunnels in real nuts to create necklaces

117 Chapter XI Mechanical Toys, Etc.
117 Acrobatic Ape: a climbing puppet described
119 The Road Locomotive: a toy train that propels for a distance on its own
120 To Lift a Man With Five Fingers: a physical stunt
121 Attraction: spinning device doesn't react as expected
123 The Magic Glass: image appears in a glass only when breathed upon; chemical magic
125 A Fantocinni Top: a rotaing disk makes small movies
125 A Small Loom Made With Cardboard: how to make it
127 The Paper Rings: The Afghan Bands
129 A Mechanical Bird: an Origami figure
132 To Cut a Cord With the Hands: a useful skill
133 The Magic Picture With Three Faces: a single picture can show three different scenes
134 Imitation Thunder: using string
136 The Mechanical Fly: a rubber-band toy
137 The Double Marble: a physical illusion
138 Experiment in Sound - Acoustics: and making a wooden whistle
140 Portraits Under Two Aspects: sculptures of people made from tools they would use