… design me a new drug please …..

Oh no, sorry not what I wanted to ask…..

I want to create a 'ball' liquid floating on another liquid. Both preferably clear and to be things I'm likely to have under the sink or in the shed.

I was thinking liquid car wax on water? (I know the wax isn't clear but maybe there is a brand that is?).

Why? I want to take photos…..

Thanks,

Carl.

If you are using water then add something immiscible like:

Vegetable oil, engine oil, etc

Google the relative densities of the liquids, as the previous poster said, making sure they're imiscible so water and oil based. The greater the difference between the densities, the better they'll separate (lots of other reasons too though) i.e. the better the lighter will float on the heavier.

Finding out the viscosity of a material would help in finding the ideal ball.
If you wanted a picture of a ball within a liquid (which would look cool) a high viscosity material with a similar density to the surrounding material. For the ball to be sitting on the liquid, high viscosity and higher density would be needed.

*reminds self not to go searching for materials instead of writing up phd!

Just seen your post about mercury… that would probably work and you can probably get it from ebay!

nasty stuff mercury, make sure you have a lot of sulphur to hand to clean up spills.

viscocity has nowt to do with it, its surface tension that dictates how well soemthing will form a ball, high surface tension liquids tend to want to make one big ball, low ST fluids will fal apart (like trying to blow bubbles under water).

The only things i can think of that fit the bill are CO2 in water and methane/ethane/propane in water , both at veryyyyy high pressures.

I wouldn't tuch mercury with a barge pole, its hideously toxic, and you cant dispose of it afterwards.

Im making the conclusion from Plants post about mercury that he may have had a thought to use it. Im not specifically saying use mercury, it may however work.