Magic Sand Remains Dry After Being Submerged in Water.

Posted by Alex in Science & Tech, Toy & Video Games, Video Clips on June 6, 2006 at 6:06 pm


Magic sand is ordinary beach sand coated with tiny particles of pure silica, then exposing them to vapors of a silicon compound called trimethylhydroxysilane. The result is a hydrophobic or water-hating sand: when exposed to water, the sand would "stick" to each other rather than to the water, and therefore remain dry.

It’s easier to understand after you watch the video: hit play or go to Link [YouTube]. For more info, see: Magic Sand [wiki], Chemistry.org explanation – Thanks Yayo!

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7 comments to "Magic Sand Remains Dry After Being Submerged in Water."

  1. Scott Taylor
    June 6th, 2006 at 7:25 pm

    Aha! I remember wondering about this after seeing it in multicolored toy form on a nickelodeon commercial a long time ago. Of course this was long before I knew the formula:(Question + Internet = Answer).

  2. Miss Cellania
    June 6th, 2006 at 7:57 pm

    Amazing. But I though hydrophobic meant you had rabies.

  3. Lynn S
    June 6th, 2006 at 8:05 pm

    "Hydrophobia" literally means "fear of water". It is one of the symptoms of rabies.

  4. Alex
    June 6th, 2006 at 8:49 pm

    In science, hydrophobic means water-hating. Lipids or fats, for instance, are hydrophobic. The opposite is hydrophilic or water-loving.

  5. wyvern
    June 7th, 2006 at 12:26 am

    In what situation would the magic sand be deployed? its awesome and all, but what practical use is it for?

  6. Alex
    June 11th, 2006 at 12:46 pm

    Wyvern, the funniest use of magic sand (as written in the Chemistry.org article) was:

    "Magic sand has also been tested by utility companies in the Arctic. The utilities bury electric and telephone wires to protect them from the harsh weather. However, if something needs repair during the winter, digging through frozen Arctic soil normally requires hours of work with power tools. To speed underground repairs, utility companies can cover electrical junction boxes with magic sand and cap the sand with just a few inches of soil. Rainwater flows around, not through, the magic sand and, when the soil freezes solid, the magic sand remains dry and loose. It is easy to break through the frozen cap, then shovel away the loose magic sand."

  7. Marc
    November 13th, 2007 at 10:43 am

    Magic sand was originally used for cleaning oil spils because it would gather together all the oil then sink. But that cost too much, so they dont use magic sand like that anymore.


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