Disappearing Clear Beads

Beads seem to disappear. Ask students to predict what will happen. Place hydrated clear beads in water. Key idea: Water and beads have similar refractive indices, so boundaries reflect/bend little light. Ask: Are the beads still there? Safety and cleanup: Water beads are choking hazards; teacher-only sealed demo. https://www.aps.org/learning-resources/bendy-light