How to make balls of “water” with a few household ingredients – Magic.
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How to make balls of “water” with a few household ingredients – Magic.
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Posted by Drew on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 8:12 pm under Miscelaneous Manip, Random. RSS 2.0 feed of comments for this post. Trackback.
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Please share!
Sounds very interesting.
Thanks,
James
September 10th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Hey Drew !!
Yes please give the link !!
^^
September 10th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Ingredient:
water, a fridge -18° C, dans 2 bowls ???
too simple reponse to be right. no?!
September 10th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1693189/how_to_turn_water_into_balls/
September 10th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Sorry Guy’s a few problems with updating MoM’s software/ Link fixed now. Enjoy, Drew. Yep Mafiaboy, thats the same one.
September 12th, 2008 at 1:46 am
has anyone tried this? i’m having my doubts about it, and most people commenting on both youtube and metacafe that have tried it say it’s not working for them.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
According to my Chemistry Teacher sister, this is not possible for various reasons. And the science terms presented in the video make no sense. It wouldn’t form a sphere if it was true anyway, the most it would do is form some type of gel when picked up, like toy slime or something. I can go into a bit more detail, but a comment field isn’t really long enough.
September 14th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
According to the sister of your chemistry teacher, or according to your sister who is a chemistry teacher? Please bear with my english
Anyway, around the net is said that you indeed don’t get solid marbles, but rather some pretty slimy and squishy round thingies that feels like, duh, slimy and squishi rubber things. And if you squeeze them, they burst, like a bubble would do.
September 14th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
My sister who is a Chemistry Teacher. I wouldn’t bother mentioning unless I got it directly from someone who studies these things. Here’s a couple of interesting things that she said.
‘And prolly the most important thing is NONE of the chemicals used are large enough to react in a way that would cause any large molecules at all, which is what you need for a substance that sticks to itself.’
‘Even the explanation doesn’t make sense, loses it’s polar hability? Water ALREADY sticks to itself better than almost any other (pure) liquid.’
At 2:38 or so in this video, you can see him playing without moving the liquid into the air or apart from each other, and it’s forming ‘spheres’ while the liquid is still in the container. So even the very idea of ‘pulling’ the liquid into the air and then forming the sphere as it leaves the liquid is disproved. What is in the container is a group of solid ‘sphere’ like objects, and a liquid. Not a liquid that turns into ‘sphere’ like objects after removal from the body of the liquid.
September 15th, 2008 at 9:24 am
We don’t know! But we’re loving the debate. It could be either, If it’s real, it’s cool, and if it is fake it is one of the best magic tricks I’ve seen recently. So either way it’s a win. This morning I’m leaning towards thinking that they are marbles, and it’s “magic”.
October 27th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
If you watch closely right after the ‘Time for Fun’ part of the video when he is moving his hand through the liquid, one of the ‘water balls’ falls out of the right side of the container and bounces away. Also when he drops the balls into the cup why does the cup already have liquid in it? Perhaps to hide the fact that this is fake. You don’t have to be a chemist to figure that out. Probably would be funny to know how many people wasted half an hour of their lives and some baking soda and salt to realize they aren’t very smart.
November 6th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Nice try.
2:11 – 2:16 you can see the “spheres” that are only supposed to exist when exposed to the atmosphere INSIDE the solution.
H O A X
November 6th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
watch it carefully at about 2:15 behind the words and you can see the “balls” move at the bottom of the container
November 7th, 2008 at 1:46 am
They’re most likely marbles with a refractive index very close to that of water.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
What a dirty hoax, btw you can buy these ‘water balls’ at most gadget shops… Oh yeah and do step one (vinegar and baking soda) and expect to have a big foamy mess to clean up =P
November 11th, 2008 at 3:05 am
I’ve been trying to find calcium bicarbonate for weeks and apparently it doesn’t even exist in solid form. I’m leaning towards thinking it’s fake, but if it isn’t, I need some calcium bicarbonate.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:59 am
Perhaps he meant sodium bicarbonate? Its just the chemical name of baking soda. Worth a shot I guess.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:16 am
I think calcium bicarbonate can be found in alka seltzer, but look it up before you take my word for it.
November 15th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
He Dosnt Say Exactly How much of the Ingredients You Need, Does Anyone Know?
November 15th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Calcium bicarbonate doesn’t even exist as a solid according to the encylopedia!
November 16th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Nice hoax! Too bad “polar hability” does not exist and calcium bicarbonate is a liquid solution. BTW, I’m a A.P. chemistry teacher.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Utter hoax…but a great jump off spot to write about water and polarity!
November 18th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Not a hoax! The spheres form along with water in the reaction, that is why the water around the spheres is in the container. The spheres are calcium bicarbonate crystals that are hydrated, meaning they contain water locked inside the crystal. This trapped water pulls against the other crystalline trapped water, causing it to form the spheres. The byproduct, water, is just leftover from the reaction and the spheres are submerged in it. Don’t let the spheres dry out on the floor or counter, it will ruin them and leave spots.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
yes i belive cow is right i belive that it is a byproduct and that it really does turn in to marbles i have tried it and it does work there is no lie
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 am
this experient sounds really stinkin awesome, but i can’t figure out where the calcium bicarbonte comes from/is made/where i can get it…maybe i’m being blonde, lol, but i need this explained
December 4th, 2008 at 5:14 am
im trying this tommorrow with my science teacher
December 6th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Calcium bicarbonate is a solution… Of what? Water and calcium carbonate… Bi- means two and I’m not sure if thisll work but I’m thinking about trying it, with a couple theories… I think towards the end he has boiling water in the pan because when he dumps it in that fridge pack it more than what was in his cup…
December 8th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Calcium bicarbonate is a by product of calcium carbonate and water so its true that the guy had calcium bicarbonate but only after he mixed it with the water.
December 8th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Sorry forgot to mention that chalk and lime are forms of calcium carbonate
December 12th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
it does work man you just need calcium bicarbonate with you can creat by ur self by mixing calcium pills and baking soda and mineral water its very eazy
January 7th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Where can you buy Calcium bicarbonate? or whatev he used in the experiment
January 18th, 2009 at 12:08 am
the liquid balls are fun to drink, they slide down your throat its a great sensation
January 20th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Does it matter what kind of vinegar u use? Because I used apple cider vinegar (I also used flavored tums for the calcium carbonate) and it came out as gooey red crap
February 8th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I found this on another website. Apparently crushed tums (for calcium carbonate) should work, but I am waiting for a response on whether it is certain they work. Once I find out, I will try this using this way and the way on the other website, which gives measurements of how much of each ingredient to use. I will post answer to question and results of experiments if I can get around to doing them.
February 14th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Guys do any you watch numbers well this was on one of there episodes explainging how it works if they put it on television it can’t be fake or it’s false advertisment and they can get sued.
Pb
February 18th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Sooo does this work or not.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
it rules. i have tried it and it works perfectly. i even picked up the “marbles” and threw them around the room. one of them landed in my water. it disappeared and i could not pick it back up. it is totally not a hoax though.
March 6th, 2009 at 4:20 am
k anbody who believes this video is a COMPLETE IDIOT first of all if u the reason he pulls out those marbles is because the law of refraction since those marbles r made out of water it doesnt reflect or bend light back or anything but thats just the begging of the explanation go here for the rest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzsvR3vH2Oo (you will have to copy and paste) and also This is not a hoax person is right it isnt a hoax DOESNT ANYBODY WATCH NUM3ERS (dumbasses) and u know wat that video is stupid cause the vid is a hoax because u dont need any of those ingrediants but the water marbles r not a hoax and u guys no wat u can even buy those water marbles eaisly (jeez u ppl r stupid) LOL =)
March 6th, 2009 at 4:20 am
k never mind u dont have to copy and paste lol
March 29th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
can you use tums in the place to calcium bicarbonate?
March 29th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
This guy tried it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n0eZYab4hU
April 4th, 2009 at 8:40 am
News article about it:
April 26th, 2009 at 2:34 am
I have personality tryed this twice and it does not work!
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
okay im confused some ppl say it works and some ppl say it does’nt
should i try it or not?
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 pm
OK SOOOOO are you supposed to put water in before you boil it?
May 11th, 2009 at 4:44 am
where can i buy calcium bicarbonate….does anyone know?
May 12th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
My Science Teacher Showed Us How To Do It And You Can Buy Them Ready Made, But They Become Invisable In Water. It Is Not Magical. Its Is All Lies,:(
x
May 18th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Ok I searched on google and it said that you could use chalk as calcium bicarbonate, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. And umm ppl that posted those comments of ppl that believe this is stupid… well you really DO NOT NEED to post that. Some ppl just wanna have an imaginary mind or watev, kk? So plzz just leave them alone. Ohh and if your one of those trash talkers don’t come to my website and sign up because I will try to remove your comments that r rude and if I can… try to remove your account off my web.
ok thnxx!!! God bless you all!!!
May 18th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Ok so u could use crushed tums 4 calcium bicarbonate? Or can u also use chalk? And does it matter if your chalk is colored or not? If anyone knows, pllzz go 2 my website which is. http://www.ny780.webs.com. And comment me, well sign up first. Go to videos and click the sign up button and post a comment if u know anything bout it!!! kk? THNXX!!! God bless u all again!!!
May 18th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Ohh ya I have those water marbles 2!!! They first look like beads and then when u put it in water they grow to marbles, well gel marbles cause they aren’t solid
.
May 28th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Согласен с автором . У меня точно такое же мнение
September 12th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Pretty cool trick! Almost fooled a lot of people, but all we had to do, was come here and read all the comments…..look for the “almost hidden clues” and didn’t have to spend the 1/2 hour doing the “fake experiment”. Pretty good camera work too, but must admit again – pretty cool trick!
September 18th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
don’t these things exist in magic supply shops?
September 20th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
can you like give us instructions of how to make it??Like what do we need to make the balls?
October 9th, 2009 at 4:25 am
If this was true, why was there water from the same container dripping from his fingers after he pulled his hand out?? Plus, ALL the water would react with the air and the balls would not all be the same diameter!! The larger amount of water in his hands the larger the “balls” and vice versa! IT IS A FAKE!!
November 24th, 2009 at 4:02 am
that did not work. maybe if someone could fine real instructions and measurements it could work. that was disappointing though
December 27th, 2009 at 8:09 am
ok this is a hoaz one calcium bicarbonate is liquid 2 someonje said calcium bicarbonate crystals absorb the water to make the balls fake again its a liquid noty crystal 3 i tried it it didnt work just left me with a stinky liquid 4 to make calcium bicarbonte you need water sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate a source of these is baking soda (sodium bicarbonte) chrushed egg shells/purified chalk(to pureify the chalk soak in viniar till it is purified you wil know when its purified to remove it from the vinigar take a thich paper towel and pour the liquid through it (you should have a creamy thing left on the paper towel) and let the paper towel dry then scrape the white (or whatever colour your calk was) stuff off
so yeah this is a hoax liquids dont stick to make soldids unles your making ice
December 28th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
You can also make waterballs by using: Sugar, salt, vinegar and baking soda; Then they will form correctly; Here are more ingredients, to make waterballs and colorball dyes:
1 oz of Sugar
1 oz of salt
1/2 oz of vinegar
1/8 oz of baking soda
And also you can add extra ingredients (4 drops of colorful dye) First you have to add all the ingredients; Second you mix them all together; Third you have to put them in the freezer; Fourth mix them again, until very blended correctly; Fifth boil it about to 400 degrees Farenheit; Sixth let them cool for 5-10 minutes; Seventh you have to put in the refrigerator over night; (12 hours or more) Eight the next day, you have to take take them out of the refrigerator; Ninth you have to put your hand in water; Tenth you can add dye color to make then colorful; Eleventh you have to take the waterballs out; Twevelth you can play with them; Thirteenth you can also freeze them; Fourteenth you can even show them to your friends; Fifteenth you can cut them in half; Sixteenth you can bounce them, like a toy; Seventeenth you can even put them in water, and also turn them invisible; Eighteenth they can appear again, when you take them out of the water; Ninteenth you can also add water to them; Twenth it can be: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet,(With extra dye) and even clear (Without dye).
Twenty-first ????????????????????????
Twenty second ????????????????????
Twenty-third ???????????????????????
Twenty-fourth ??????????????????????
Twenty-fifth ?????????????????????
Twenty-sixth ????????????????????
Twenty-seventh ?????????????????????
Twenty-eighth ?????????????????????
Twenty ninth ??????????????????????
Thirth ??????????????????????????????
Thirty-first, you are done!
TTTTTTTTTTTTTT H H EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
T H H E
T H H E
T HHHHHHHHHH EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
T H H E
T H H E
T H H EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE NN N DDDDDDDDD !!
E N N N D D !!
E N N N D D !!
E N N N D D !!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE N N N D D !!
E N N N D D !!
E N N N D D
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE N NN DDDDDDDDDD !!
February 6th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
this is absolutely not a hoax. this is exactly how ectoplasm behaves in sodium bicarbonate as well.
ps: support cannabis relegalization
March 6th, 2010 at 7:11 am
oi can someone just send me some of the water balls okay ps stop fucking arguing about it if u think it fake then dont comment you dumbterds
March 13th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
where do you get calcium bicarbonate?
April 9th, 2010 at 4:21 am
k all it totally works. To get calcium bicarbonate just mash up some tums (calcium carbonate), and it becomes calcium bicarbonate when it reacts with water.
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:36 pm
… we just did this and wasted time. i wish i woulda read this beforehand. i hate you all.
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
this is just a scam ppl, you can buy these marbles at this site
“http://www.teachersource.com/Chemistry/GroBeastsPolymers/WaterGelCrystals.aspx”
how come “in touch with air it looses its polar hability” at 2:20 you can see the marbles lying in the box.
July 3rd, 2010 at 1:09 pm
i wrote down wrong link. the link is: http://www.teachersource.com/Chemistry/HydrophilicHydrophobicPolymers/GrowingSpheresThreeSizes.aspx
July 10th, 2010 at 5:46 am
Got bored of reading comments, so this may have been mentioned already. The spheres are always present, they just have the same index of refraction as water, so when they’re placed in water, it appears as though they’ve disappeared.
July 15th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
i dont believe that’s possible. My physics teacher had spheres like those and as the guy above me said they look like they disappear when you put them in water. It would be awesome if you could do something like this though
August 18th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Hey so this is whats up, you can buy these Spheres that seem to dissapear in water because they have a high consideration of water or something like that. This guy explains it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vigZg4VOGzI
Basically its an optical illusion, its used as a magic trick.
August 27th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
This is a total scam, if the the “substance” react with air and form a sphere… why he have DROPS of water falling from his hand into the bowl?
This is a common sense answer, because I will not waste time explaining to you the impossible chemistry on it whit these ingredients.
October 20th, 2010 at 2:47 am
THIS WILL CLEAR A LOT OF CONFUSION UP.
NOTICE YOU NEVER SEE THE WATER FROM THE SIDE AND WHEN YOU DO IT’S ONLY FOR A SECOND.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzsvR3vH2Oo
hoax.
but if you want some fun, trick your friends :O
October 30th, 2010 at 1:39 am
you guys are all stupid because it totally does work…did it in science class and at home and it most definitely worked…so go scratch
November 9th, 2010 at 2:27 am
what r those balls they put in there frist?????
November 14th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Trying the sugar recipe with my daughter – seems doubtful it will actually make “water balls,” but she really wanted to try and I know so little about chemistry I figured, why not give it a try? But I have a BIG question for many of you: Why are you so angry with one another!? Why is it so hard for you to debate the viability of this experiment without all the put-downs and disdain?
November 26th, 2010 at 3:45 am
hey, this is not a easy expement to do?? and this is an 10th grade experiment?? because they did’nt accept me an experiment called “Hot Ice” because it was easy.
January 11th, 2011 at 12:29 am
SOLO A PETICION DE LA PERSONA QUE PIDIO MI COMENTARIO. ESTE VIDEO ES UNA GRAN GRAN MENTIRA QUE SOLO LES HACE PERDER SU TIEMPO, SI ALGUIEN QUIERE HACER ESTE TIPO DE GELES QUE EN PARTICULAR SE LLAMAN HIDROGELES, NECESITARIA NO BICARBONATO,VINAGRE, SAL O CUALQUIER OTRA SUSTANCIA COMO LAS MENCIONADAS EN EL VIDEO. SE NECESITA PRINCIPALMENTE ACRILAMIDA, BIS-ACRILAMIDA, PERSULFATO DE AMONIO Y TEMMED. SUSTANCIAS QUIMICAS QUE SE UTILIZAN EN CUALQUIER LABORATORIO DE BIOTECNOLOGIA Y MUY DIFICILDE CONSEGUIR, Y APARTE EL PREVIO CONOCIMIENTO DE ESTAS SUSTANCIAS POR QUE POR SEPARADAS SON CANCERIGENAS PERO UNA VEZ QUE PREPARAS EL GEL DE POLIACRILAMIDA YA ES ATOXICA .
ESPERO Y LES SIRVA MI COMENTARIO Y NO SE DEJEN ENGAÑAR.
ATTE
JUAN LUIS I.F.
QUIMICO BIOTECNOLOGO
January 24th, 2011 at 12:13 am
DRIVEL!
Those are marbles, chemicals don’t crystallize into perfect spheres! Go look up ‘crystal’ and see if any crystals are spheres!
It is iodized, not ionized salt. (Potassium Iodide)
Polar hability is a non existent term that you made up, why do people do this crap?
Marbles, really?
February 9th, 2011 at 2:05 am
how can u make water balls without baking soda?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:09 am
I saw this video two days ago and have been wondering how to do it ever since. My friend saw it too and tried it yesterday. He says that it worked perfectly for him…but i’m having a hard time believing it. I want to try it…but where do you get the calcium bicarbonate?!?!?
March 5th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Is it real or not? I found the video on stumbleupon and wanted to try it. Where can I get Calcium Bicarbonate in a powder form?
March 5th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
think the guy means calcium carbonate which is in antacid tablets. Get mythbusters onto it
March 5th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
And they arent crystalizing the surface tension is increasing. I dont thin its real but that is what it is claiming
April 9th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
These are those water balls that you buy at the craft store or home improvement store for watering plants. They look decorative when you put them in the bottom of a vase or bowl and you can plant bamboo and other plants in them because they slowly release water. They are usually pink, purple or blue.
All this guy did was put some in a bowl of water and died the water pink to match the color of the water balls…simple illusion on film..
kind of funny that he added all the science stuff to it….I am sure he had lots of people in the kitchen freezing stuff, boiling stuff and stirring stuff….all to put theie hands in a slimy hot mess of salt water!
Awesome…..
June 19th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
This IS legit. I don’t know every little detail of how it works, but I know it has to do with surface tension. Just like how you can take drop a bit of water on a penny and it wont spill over the sides. And the reason why there’s still normal water along with the spheres is because water is a product of the reaction. If you mix vinegar and baking soda you get water as a byproduct, and there is certainly vinegar and baking soda in that recipe.
June 23rd, 2011 at 8:58 am
Sorry to ruin the fun, but this is indeed a hoax.
The water balls are actually made of a superabsorbant polymer. The polymer has a refractive index close to that of water, which is why they seem invisible. You can check out the wikipedia page for the polymer here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_polyacrylate. Unfortunately you can’t make them from household ingredients but you can buy them online/at some gardening stores and they’re fairly cheap. Here’s a video of them in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw0x79uilR8.
Notice that with all the videos of people “making” them there is a cut before they show you the final product.
Also, if anyone cares about the science… Since these balls are made from a polymer (read: really long, complicated molecule) the ingredients would have to undergo a polymerization reaction for them to form. With the ingredients and the method used in the video above (and all the others on youtube) that absolutely would not happen. The vinegar and baking soda would react to form salt (NaCl), CO2, and water. Adding more salt…makes it more salty. Calcium bicarbonate does not exist in solid form (oh hey wikipedia– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_bicarbonate) so I don’t know what was in that glass but judging by the way it foamed it was probably just more baking soda. Someone suggested using sugar instead, but that wouldn’t do anything. In fact it’s pretty safe to say that it is not possible to make these out of any household products.
As for the polarity/surface tension stuff: yes, water is polar and yes it has high surface tension. That’s not exactly why this works, although it is on the same subject. The superabsorbant gel is able to soak up so much water because it forms hydrogen bonds with the water molecules, pulling them out of solution.
I won’t go any more in-depth than that because I don’t think anyone really cares, but there you have it! Go buy some water balls so you can trick your friends and make your own hoax videos.
July 8th, 2011 at 1:23 am
ok i did this and it worked and you can get calcium bicarbonate from tums alls you have to do is crush up some tums and you get calcium bicarbonate!!
July 8th, 2011 at 1:25 am
and wow some people need to get a life!
July 13th, 2011 at 6:11 am
lol!!! you have all just been trolled!!
December 18th, 2011 at 7:06 am
Freaking awesome!!!!
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:59 pm
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/jelly-marbles-jar
Pretty sure this is what causes the water balls…