We created water gel crystals to make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. We mixed the substances and colours to create purple, orange and green. Our water gel crystals are made from a polyacrylamide polymer with a strong affinity for water. When placed into water, water gel crystals absorb water and swell to several hundred times their original size. One of the variables is the amount of water the crystals will absorb, also depending on the salt content of the water. We used distilled water to have accurate results.
