Ferrofluid Made From Dirt
I extracted the magnetic materials from plain old dirt. Then, I pulverized the materials and added them to the oil solution to form the ferrofluid.
Supplies
The supplies used are listed below:
-Dirt
-Magnets
-Plastic bag or film
-Oil (Vegetable was used, but others will work too)
-Ziplock bag
-Hammer
Get yourself some dirt. Any dirt will do as long as there are ferrous materials present (which most dirt has).
Extracting the magnetic material can be tricky. You will need to envelop the magnet with a plastic film in order to separate the magnetic metals from the attraction. You can empty the residue into a cup where it can be collected.
Empty your findings from the cup into a sealable plastic bag. Crush as much of the metals as possible into a powdery state.
Pour oil into a bowl and empty your crushed metal powder into it. Mix the powder into the oil thoroughly until entirely incorporated.
Place a magnet under the bowl and enjoy the wonderful physics of ferrofluid. Move the magnet around to shift the structures.