Ah, the allure of Orbeez balls! If you’re a fellow enthusiast, then you may have wondered about ways to make them grow quickly. Naturally, our first thought was to soak those little wonders in scalding hot water, but does that method actually work?
My trusty Orbeez ally Kieren and I set out to answer this burning question by experimenting with water at different temperatures, starting from 50°F to 212°F. While boiling hot water didn’t yield the desired result, we stumbled upon a nifty little trick to accelerate Orbeez growth by raising the temperature to the cozy warmth range. But there’s more!
So, what are you waiting for? Join us on this blog post as we take a deeper dive into our scientific journey and the fruits of our labor.
Does Hot Water Make Orbeez Grow Faster Than Cold Water?
It’s incredible how something as simple as the water temperature can affect the growth of Orbeez! If you want to speed up the process, you’ll need to pay close attention to the temperature. While a higher water temperature does allow the superabsorbent polymer to absorb water more quickly and expand faster, there’s a catch.
You see, hot water can be too much of a good thing. During our first attempt, we used water that was a scorching 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the outcome was far from ideal. The Orbeez suffered some deformation, losing their shape and becoming somewhat melted.
However, we soon realized that we needed WARM WATER – NOT HOT WATER, which we set at around 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature allowed the Orbeez to expand quickly without losing their shape. In contrast, when we tried cold water, the results were the polar opposite. The beads took longer to expand and ended up slightly smaller than usual.
How Long Does It Take For Orbeez To Grow In Hot Water?
The excitement was palpable as we watched our Orbeez soak up the warm water, eager to witness the results of our experiment. It didn’t take long for us to see that the water temperature had a significant impact on the growth rate of these little wonders.
During our second attempt using water set at a cozy 105°F, we were blown away by the rapid expansion of the Orbeez. In the first 60 minutes alone, they grew to a size of 7 mm – impressive, to say the least! By the time the next hour had passed, they had reached their full size, leaving us in awe of their swift transformation.
This was a vast improvement compared to the typical growth rate of Orbeez in water at room temperature, which can take an agonizingly long 4 to 6 hours. Suffice it to say; we were thrilled with our discovery and couldn’t wait to share our findings with other Orbeez aficionados.
Also Read: What Happens If You Leave Orbeez In Water For Too Long?
Case Study With Orbeez At Different Water Temperatures
Kieren is a true innovator, constantly on the hunt for exciting new experiments to test out. When it came to Orbeez, he saw an opportunity to explore the effects of water temperature on their growth rate – and of course, I was all in. We experimented with different water temperatures, eagerly observing the results, and we couldn’t wait to share our findings with the world.
Room Temperature (78°F): You’re probably already familiar with growing Orbeez at room temperature. The beads reached 4 mm in the first 30 minutes, but then the process began to slow down. At 75 minutes, the beads had only grown by another 1 mm. Finally, it took the Orbeez around 5 hours to reach their full size of 7.5 mm. Hydrated Orbeez balls last for a long time if grown in room temperature.
Hot Water (212°F): I wouldn’t recommend using hot water since it ruins the Orbeez, but let’s check out what we found anyway. Boiling water caused the balls to grow much faster, reaching their full size in only 1.5 hours. Once again, the Orbeez were useless since they got melted and deformed.
Warm Water (105-115°F): 115°F is a perfectly safe water temperature for growing Orbeez. The beads took 2-2.5 hours or so to reach maximum size at this temperature. However, you may use slightly warmer water (such as 130°F) to quicken the process further.
Cold Water (50°F): Of course, cold water slowed down the growth of the Orbeez rather than hastening it. It took 10 hours for the gel beads to reach 7.5 mm in cold water, whereas beads soaked in room temperature water can reach the same size in only 5 hours.
Why Does Orbeez Grow Faster In Warm Water?
We now keep the water temperature in the warm range between 105°F and 115°F when soaking our Orbeez – it works wonders. Being a science geek, my pal Kieren wanted to find out why Orbeez grows faster in warm water. Here’s what he came up with after a discussion with me.
Quicker Chemical Reactions: The expansion of Orbeez balls takes place due to the chemical reaction between water molecules and the polyacrylamide material. Hot water speeds up the chemical reaction, allowing the balls to expand faster.
Heat Expands The Polymers: As with most materials, the polymers used in gel beads expand more when heated. This is why warm water causes Orbeez to not only grow faster, but also reach a larger size than usual.
Faster Water Absorption: When the water is warm, the polymer chains become more flexible, allowing water to penetrate the structure more easily. This increased flexibility and mobility of the polymer chains lead to a faster rate of water absorption and thus, faster growth of the Orbeez.
On the other hand, cold water causes the polymer chains to become more rigid and less receptive to water molecules. This results in a slower rate of water absorption and therefore, slower growth of the Orbeez. So, warm water is more effective than cold water at accelerating the growth rate of Orbeez due to the increased water absorption, faster expansion of polymer chains and quicker chemical reactions.
Can You Grow Orbeez Faster Without Using Warm Water?
Though warm water is a simple solution, it may not always be viable. Besides, you’d have to keep changing the water in the bowl and replace it with warm water every time it cools down. We found a few alternative ways to grow Orbeez faster in case warm water isn’t available.
- Using Low-pH Water: Did you know that water with a low pH level can make Orbeez balls expand faster? Simply adding a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the water to turn it acidic should do the trick.
- Using Distilled Water: Another simple and effective solution is to use distilled water. It will speed up the hydration process, allowing the gel beads to grow faster.
- Add Sugar: Just like distilled water, you could also add some sugar to the water when soaking your Orbeez. Just be careful not to make the water too sugary, as that will cause the Orbeez to become sticky. Besides these, you may also use distilled water and keep the gellets in warm and humid environments to speed up the growing process.
Learn More: 8 Ways To Grow Orbeez Faster And Bigger
So, we have concluded that warm water (not hot water) is the key to speeding up the growth rate of Orbeez. These days, we rarely use room temperature water to soak our Orbeez, as warm water has proven to be a real time-saver. We hope that this article has answered all of your questions about growing Orbeez in hot water. Whether you’re using them for art, décor, or playtime, warm water is the way to go. Have fun!
