Wax

materials · nature · chemistry

Soft and moldable. Wax feels smooth and bendy when it's warm, but it gets hard and stiff when it cools down. This makes it perfect for candles, crayons, and even sealing letters.

Made by living things. Plants and animals create wax to protect themselves. Bees make beeswax for their honeycombs, and plants coat their leaves with wax to keep water out.

Water's opposite. Wax hates water and will never dissolve in it, which is why it's so useful for waterproofing things like wooden ships and hiking boots.

Melts at low heat. Most waxes melt when heated to around 104 degrees Fahrenheit, turning into a runny liquid that you can pour or shape however you want.

Found underground too. Wax doesn't only come from plants and animals, it's also hidden deep in the Earth mixed with petroleum and oil.