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What Happens If You Eat a Silica Gel Packet?

Those little 'DO NOT EAT' packets are everywhere. This TED-Ed lesson explains what silica gel is (basically processed sand), how its microscopic tunnels give it a giant surface area, and how it soaks up water to keep products dry.

How it works

  • Press play to start the video.
  • Videos 5 minutes or longer pause once or twice for a quick check. Get it right and you're on your way. If not, you'll see a friendly explanation and the video simply keeps going. Short videos skip the checks.
  • At the end there's a 3-question test. Score 60% or more to complete the lesson, and 80% or more to master it. You can always watch again and try for a higher score.