Making Ooho balls 

Aim: To investigate how to spherify water.

Materials:

• Water

• Sodium alginate

• Calcium chloride

• Food colouring

• Stirring spoon

• Electronic scales

Method:

1. Measure 10g of calcium chloride into a glass jar using the electronic scales.

2. Add 100mL water (using a measuring cylinder)

3. Stir until all the calcium chloride is dissolved.

4. Into a different beaker, measure 100mL warm/hot water (using a measuring cylinder) & add a drop of food colouring.

5. In a separate dish, measure 1g sodium alginate.

6. Slowly add the sodium alginate to the coloured water & stir/whisk vigorously until it is all combined. Ms Cook may need to help you out with an electrical hand mixer.

7. Cool the alginate/coloured water by placing it in a water bath.

8. Using a dropper, drop one or two drops of the coloured solution into your calcium chloride solution bath (in the glass jar). Wait 1 minute, then take out using a small spoon, to observe.

9. Try scooping “ooho balls” of various sizes into the calcium chloride bath, as stated in the table below, leaving for various lengths of time.