Make a Super Bouncy Ball

Welcome to my instructable, where I will tell you how to make a great little toy using a chemical reaction, and easy-to-get chemicals.
Great science-fun for kids too!

Step 1: Materials needed

This bouncy ball is made using a reaction between the two following chemicals:

- Alcohol (Ethanol) - You should be able to get this at any supermarket.
- Water glass (Sodium silicate) - Pretty easy to find at ceramic supply stores drug stores and hardware stores. I buy mine for about 3$ per 1/2 litre.

You will also need:

- Disposable rubber gloves
- 2 small beakers
- Popsicle stick

... and that's it! Now that wasn't so bad at all, was it?

Comments

[magey00]

I really cannot find the place that I can buy a sodium silicate....I've called Hobby Lobby, Target, CVS pharmacy, Quick pharmacy, Lowe's, HEB, and the Home Depot and ask if they have "Sodium Silicate" or "Water Glass", but none of them have it.... Please help me

[tonytaylor85]

I work for a silicate plant. I'll try some different grades and ratios next week and report back what works best. My guess is that RR will work best, but we will see.

Here is a property data sheet for the grades we make:
http://www.pqcorp.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=pMka9UCMEiU%3d&tabid=143&mid=585

[Chemmagic]

I can't get my ball to form. It goes as far as the paste-like stage and then thats it.
I'm in a well stocked Chemistry lab with a new 2.5L container of sodium silicate, fresh Ethanol and phenolphthalein, I've also tried using isopropanol but nothing is working, i just have lots of beakers of goop.

Someone please please help!!!

[pudi.dk]

What concentration is the ethanol? It should be pretty close to 100%, typically 96% or so although many labs use 70% for the sake of sterilization, that might be why you are getting the 'paste' from excess water.
If you have enough chemicals to experiment, try using different ratios of silicate:ethanol that might work better.

[Chemmagic]

it's absolute, Ive tried different ratios, Ive tried isopropanol, ive just had a go with methyl alcohol...still no luck :(

[maxthecat1]

my bouncy ball breaks very easily. how can i get it so it doesn't break apart? and it also dries out quickly. I am using rubbing alcohol instead of ethanol. is that the problem?

[mashedpotato13]

well rubbing alcohol is mostly ethanol mixed with a little bit of water. so it should'nt be the problem...

[lifelong-newbie]

Unless the water is evaporating out, causing the drying effect

[Ugifer]

I think rubbing alcohol is actually isopropyl alcohol rather than ethanol. Not sure what is going on here chemically so I can't really say whether it will make a difference but rubbing alcohol and ethanol are not normally the same thing.

[jpetty1]

does it dry? If I add 4 cups to 1 cup will i get a bouncy ball?

[jpetty1]

Is in a 4:1 ratio?

[AKA=THE SNOWMAN]

i used liquid glass with metallic in it. . . . havent tried it yet. . . .will post my results in a few minutes. . .nice instructable!!!!

[dombeef]

When...

[beehard44]

still waiting.....

[dombeef]

still waiting too

[Win Guy]

Uhhh... lol

[dombeef]

Yeah, any day now!

[gario10]

Almost

[vman3]

I have a small feeling he forgot...

[mattman2]

been waiting for a while now

[pudi.dk]

I'm waiting eagerly as well!

[TandemFixation]

I'm pretty sure it exploded on him. :-) Not all those who discover explosives live to tell of their creations ;-)

[TechNerd1012]

still waiting

[flio191]

AKA=THESNOWMAN has accidentally created a miniature black hole through his/her efforts and is now somewhere far in the future, being lectured about why not to mix liquid glass with "metallic" by non-humanoids in a language he/she cannot understand.

[blinkyblinky]

I Love It.

What is your nationality?

[pudi.dk]

Thanks!
I'm from Denmark.

[spenfisher12]

3 CHEERS FOR POLYMERS WITH OUT,EM GLOCKS WOULD NOT BE THE SAME GUN AND THIS IBLE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE

[hjjusa]

Have you seen tat video where they they dragged a Glock behind a truck over a dirt road? It bounced pretty googood and still shot like a champ when it was over.

[josh1324]

nice 'ible! 5*!

[Katrien95]

Is there a connection between the quantity of the alcohol and waterglass and the ability of bouncing (for example, if you take less alcohol, the ball should bounce higher and better.) This is an example! Just to prevent misunderstandings...

[mdeblasi1]

Could someone explain what is going on here chemically? What is sodium silicate, what happens to it in the presence of alcohol? How is it that the ball can be reformed after all the alcohol should have long evaporated off? Finally, why is polymerized (?) Sodium silicate so bouncy? Cheers, M

[mdeblasi1]

'"In Sodium Silicate, the Silicon is bonded to 4 oxygen atoms and is not linked in any chains. The Ethyl Alcohol has just two Carbon atoms. When Sodium Silicate and Ethyl Alcohol are put together, the Silicate particles begin to link up with each other to form long chains as the Ethyl groups replace Oxygen atoms in the Silicate ion. Some become cross-linked between chains. Water molecules are byproducts of the formation of the polymerization bond. This forms a large molecule - a Silicone polymer"

Thank you United Nuclear. This begins to explain things.

[beehard44]

in short, alcohol+water glass= one hell of a frickin bouncy ball

[Shinta786]

well.....they react with each other......and you get a bouncy ball, lol.

[msuper28]

(removed by author or community request)

[pudi.dk]

Water instead of sodium silicate? Congratulations you have just diluted alcohol!

[beehard44]

lol

[kcls]

If I wanted to put something inside, say, a polymer clay giraffe, is there a way to make it clear so i could see him? Just a thought...

[warhawk97]

Awesome! Just wondering if you can put in some food collaring?

[kate_27]

 You should be able to, try it!