How do “blue water boxes” from zoos and other places actually work? How can a small figure stand on the “blue water”?

Question

I have no idea what they are actually called, but I have one of them with two penguins on it, and I wonder how they stand on the blue liquid?

In: 5

Answer 1

>I have no idea what they are actually called, but I have one of them with two penguins on it, and I wonder how they stand on the blue liquid?

You mean something like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBeTiMkhcuM)?

They’re called paperweights. The clear liquid is an oil, and the blue liquid is water with a dye. Oil and water don’t mix, so even if you shake the thing, the liquids don’t mix. The figurine is dense enough to sink in the oil, but not dense enough to sink in the water. So it floats on the interface between the two liquids.