Science Gone Fun ® sodium polyacrylate (diaper polymer) is a material that can absorb up to 600 times its weight in aqueous fluids.
How does it work? Just mix a cup of water with a scoop of Diaaaper polymer, and within seconds, the liquid turns into a solid gel.
It is excellent magic fun for parties and school science projects.
The hands-on project takes an inside look at the polymer in diapers that make them absorbent.
The Secret of the Vanishing Water: How does chemistry help seal away water in diapers and other absorbent products? Try this Science Gone Fun®Diaper Polymer to find out!
Magic trick:
- Put a scoop of those tiny crystals polymer into a small cup.
- Fill the cup with about 4 ounces of water. Watch the polymer absorb the water and turn in to thicken clear gel.
- Observe the gel that the polymer and water create. Then, turn the cup upside down and see how it has solidified. Now you know the super, moisture-absorbing secret hiding in the lining of a baby diaper.
Make ice pack: Packing some of this stuff into an airtight bag and freezing it overnight to make an improvised ice pack that won't leak.
Extract water from superabsorbent polymer: Add a teaspoon of salt or acid, stir it with a spoon, and watch what happens. Salt messes up the gel's water-holding abilities.
You can create a science fair project by identifying a variable or something to change in this experiment.
You can use food coloring (Not including) to change the color of the gels.