Ever find those little white packets that say “throw away” and “Do Not Eat”? They are silica gel beads and they absorb like 60% of their mass in water. But, When they are dropped in water, they tend to absorb too much water. This causes them to “Crack” like ice sometimes does when you put it in a glass of water. Believe it or not but these “Gels” are used in making glass. You might have heard of the Chemical, Silicon Dioxide or sio2. This is what these gels are.