Science, Tech, Math › Science 9 Science Pranks and Practical Jokes Print Elva Etienne / Getty Images Science Chemistry Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on June 04, 2020 Some of the coolest pranks and practical jokes rely on science. Learn how to make stink bombs, color someone's urine, change the color of coins, and more with this collection of science pranks. Classic Homemade Stink Bomb Tim Robberts / Getty Images While this stink bomb is homemade, it contains the same chemical found in (expensive) storebought stink bombs. Combine two common household ingredients and let the stink begin! Burning Bills Nodar Chernishev / EyeEm / Getty Images Take the money and set it on fire. With this technique, you'll get lots of fire, but the bills will be completely unharmed. Rubber Egg and Rubber Chicken Bones If you soak a raw egg in vinegar, its shell will dissolve and the egg will gel. Anne Helmenstine You can bounce this egg like a ball or bend the chicken bones as if they were rubber. If you make rubber egg from a raw egg, the yolk of the egg will remain liquid, so if you throw the "ball" hard enough it will splatter egg everywhere. Read More 10 Fun Chemistry Demonstrations and Experiments By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Baking Soda and Ketchup Prank PJB / Getty Images What happens if you add baking soda to someone's bottle of ketchup? The baking soda reacts with the acid in the ketchup in much the same way as it reacts with vinegar in a baking soda volcano, except in this case its ketchup that goes everywhere and not fake lava. Supercooled Water Vi..Cult..., Creative Commons License You can chill a bottle of water past the freezing point of the water. The water will remain liquid in the bottle, but as soon as you open it to drink it or pour it, the water will freeze into ice. You also can supercool canned soft drinks, such as colas. Disappearing Ink WIN-Initiative/Neleman / Getty Images This is a classic prank that you can set up yourself. Prepare an ink that produces a stain when you squirt it onto paper or clothing, yet becomes invisible once it dries. Gold and Silver Pennies Anne Helmenstine The next time someone asks you for some pennies, why not give them pennies that appear to be made of gold or silver? The pennies are still pennies, but a chemical reaction has altered the chemical composition of the outer layer of the penny. Still legal to spend? Who knows... go find out! Colored Urine Anne Helmenstine There are several harmless foods and chemicals that can be used to safely color someone's urine. Methylene blue, for example, can color your urine blue. It will even (temporarily) turn the whites of your eyes blue. Green Eggs The 'white' of this egg is green because we mixed a little red cabbage juice into it. Anne Helmenstine Whether you want green eggs and ham or just like colored eggs, you can use a kitchen ingredient to turn the whites of your eggs green. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "9 Science Pranks and Practical Jokes." ThoughtCo, Jul. 29, 2021, thoughtco.com/science-pranks-and-practical-jokes-608249. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, July 29). 9 Science Pranks and Practical Jokes. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/science-pranks-and-practical-jokes-608249 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "9 Science Pranks and Practical Jokes." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/science-pranks-and-practical-jokes-608249 (accessed March 28, 2024). copy citation