Answers To 7 Classic Magic Tricks

The best part about magic tricks is getting to wonder how they do it! However, not everyone loves the thrill of not knowing as much as others, so for those people, there are answers. 

Classic magic tricks from as far back as the early 1800s have been explained and the magic behind them revealed. You might be disappointed with how easily you were tricked once you find out how some of these illusions are done. But as lovely as childlike wonder can be, knowing the answers can be just as fun — especially when you learn how Michael Jackson defied gravity in his dance moves.

1. Levitation

The woman lays on a board which is held up by a metal rod. The magician stands to hide the rod, so where he is standing determines how well the trick is executed. 

2. Cutting A Body In Half

The person in this box has to tuck their body in to give the illusion that their body is being cut into pieces. Fake feet are attached at the end for when the model moves.

3. Zig Zag Girl

This trick is actually quite simple. When the assistant steps into the box, she turns her body sideways so that when the blades go in, they slide right past her body. When the mid section of the box is pushed out, only her hand goes with it, but the black lining of the box gives the illusion that her midsection has completely shifted.

4. Into The Air

This trick is very similar to the other levitation trick but the magician does not stand in front of the support. He then passes a hoop over the assistant only going as far as the support allows which gives the illusion that the body is floating in the air.

5. Floating Man Illusion

The street performer sits on a metal seat that is attached to a rod and that rod is attached to a platform that will be concealed by a carpet.

6. Cut In Half

This is one of the most classic tricks. One assistant is already in the box before the trick starts, her body concealed. When the other assistant gets in the box, the one already inside puts her legs out while the other hides hers, only her upper body showing. When the blades go in and the box separates, we are actually seeing one half of two people.

7. Michael Jackson Dance Trick

This dance move is much simpler than you thought! A groove in the shoes catches on a lift so when you lean beyond your center of gravity, you can return to an upright position without falling over!

8. David Copperfield Makes The Statue Of Liberty Disappear

David Copperfield is known for his incredible disappearing acts and one that has baffled many is when the magician made the Statue of Liberty vanish. How did he do it? The audience and pillars next to the statue were on a rotating platform. The audience was moved so that the statue was out of view but they didn't know they had been moved.

9. Buzz Saw

Similar to cutting a body in half this trick requires two people. The band that secures one person to the table also helps hide the other body. The blade comes down between the two giving the impression it is sawing the one in half.

10. Criss Angel Levitation

Very similar to the floating man trick, Criss Angel used a hidden leg to step onto for his levitation trick. He would step out of his shoe and onto the leg to make it appear he was floating with both feet in the air.

11. The Guillotine

The top of the guillotine is real, even the sharp blade. The lower half is actually a compartment so that when the blade drops, it hits little blocks that keep the person from actually being beheaded. There is a trap door that lets the person's head and shoulders drop and a shell in their coat makes it appear as if the body is still there — without a head.

12. Card Through The Window Trick

David Blaine's card trick has baffled many people. He gets a volunteer to pick a card from a deck, show the audience, then place the card back in the deck. He would then scatter the cards at a window and the selected card would stick — but on the opposite side of the window... 

To achieve this trick, another person stood on the other side of the window with a separate deck of cards and place the chosen card on it while the audience wasn't looking.

13. Walking On Water

Criss Angel can levitate and he can also walk on water...sorta. This trick is made possible with Plexiglas pillars coming up through the pool of water that he steps on. Not so impressive anymore...

14. Bullet Catch

While this trick has evolved over the years, the essence of it remains the same. A bullet is fired through a sheet of glass at a volunteer and they catch it in their teeth. 

The bullet actually drops upon firing and a fake marking is made on the glass. A stage hand duplicates the bullet which the volunteer places in their mouth to show after the gun has been fired.

We're sorry if this ruined some of the magic for you.

Not all tricks have good explanations for them. Some magicians just really are special and can perform illusions and acts that the only answer for how they were done is quite simply, magic.