Fortune Telling Fish

A fortune telling fish adds fun to any occasion, particularly in kids' birthday parties. Kids simply love the way this fortune teller moves in their palms. But, what is this magic fish all about? It is nothing, but a plastic fish that wiggles, curls up or flips off on its own, when kept in your palm. And based on the movements, you can predict your future luck. Doesn't that sounds interesting? Read the back of the package and you will find the meanings of specific fish movements. More information on the working mechanism of this fortune telling toy is highlighted in the upcoming paragraphs.

Fortune Telling Fish: How does it Work?

Believe it or not, there is a scientific logic behind the working of a fortune telling fish. Try your science understanding and predict what can be the factor for bending of this mystical fish. Is it the heat from your hand, or conduction of electricity, or sweat from the skin? The right answer is its composition. The chemical constituent of this red plastic toy is partly similar to that of a baby diaper. It is made up of long-stranded polymers (called sodium polyacrylate) that grab water molecules from the area of direct contact.

When you keep the fortune telling fish in your palm, the polymer grabs moisture from the portion, where it touches your palm. This alters the shape of the molecules in the particular area and at the same time, increases their volume. Both the change in shape and increased volume of the molecules cause some of the fish parts to swell. As a result, a side of the fortune telling fish curls, which we decipher as fish movements. Thus, the magic fish bending takes place in a specific direction. The curling or wiggling movements depend on the way, which you keep it in your palm.

To be more precise, it is the chemical constituent of the plastic fish that makes it wiggle or move. Hence, if you use the same polymer in other toys, say a plastic cookie or an imitation platter, they will move in the similar way as a fortune telling fish does. In another case, if you keep the mystical fish in a bowl of water, or let it submerge completely in water, then it will not curl or bend. This is because of the amount of polymer molecules that grab water.

In case the fortune telling fish floats in water, all the molecules in the bottom side that touch water swell up, and the fish doesn't bend. Similarly, a submerged fish remains the same in shape, though it will increase in size. Experiment these hypothesis as a part of your practicals, and you can demonstrate the results. Once you are done with the toy inspired science fair project, allow the plastic fish to dry in sun. It works as a brand new fortune telling fish. As you see, This mystical fish is not only a toy for kids, but it can be used for chemistry demonstrations. In fact, many teachers use the same in classroom experiments.

This coming Christmas, order the fortune telling fish and spice up your party with these magic fish. The more number you buy, the more discount you will get. Buying 10 fish costs less than USD 9 and 50 fish costs only USD 16. Shop around, and may be you will get them at a discounted rate. A word of caution regarding fortune telling fish is that this is a toy played just for fun, and not for other intentions. Hence, do not take the meanings seriously. You can explain the movement phenomenon of this fortune teller after the party gets over.