How Every Day Objects Are Really Made

1. Erasers

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Erasers made from natural rubber start by being harvested from trees. This substance is latex sap. Then, some of the molecules are changed - some added and some removes which then makes it form rubber. Synthetic rubber is made up completely of different kinds of chemicals.

2. Paper

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 As we know, paper is made of wood. But how does it get to that point? It begins as a pulp made from wood which is a mixture of different things such as water, glue, and chemicals. It is then sprayed out and pressed to form the thin structure of the paper.

3. Shampoo

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Shampoo is made up mainly of water - around 80%. The other main ingredient is a detergent which is how the shampoo cleans our hair and then conditioning agents are added to balance the harsh effects. The PH is adjusted and preservatives are added to stop bacteria growing. After this, most of the ingredients added are there to make the product more appealing. Thickeners,  dyes, scents or odour are added to make the product sell better.

4. Scotch tape

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We often never think about how simple things like scotch tape come about. It's quite a scientific process! First, the adhesive part of the scotch begins as crude oil that has been extracted from different liquids such as alcohol and acids. They are then mixed with a substance that makes them thick and sticky. The back of the scotch is made up of lots of cellulose fibers.

5. Markers

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 First of all when making a marker you have to get the ink which is a mix of dye, water and a solvent as well as other chemicals which are sometimes added. Then, the ink is inserted into the mould of the marker. To create the nib of the pen, a specific powder is mixed with water and then created into a pointy shape.

6. Lightbulb

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So the bulb itself is made by winding a wire around a base which is then dissolved into acid. The filament - which is the wire that lives inside the bulb - is then placed inside the glass itself. Then, it goes through a VERY high conveyor belt which create the strip of glass.

7. Computer Mouse

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A computer mouse is small but it is packed full of technology and hardware. There's the circuit board which is made along with an encoder and a sensor. All of the elements that make up the computer mouse are made at the same time and put inside after being tested.

8. Toilet Paper

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Toilet paper starts out as a kind of pulp. Then, to give it a more clean looking and appealing colour it is bleached so that it appears white. Then, the pulp is sprayed onto a kind of mesh screen to form the thin layers. It is then cut up into the right size!

9. Bath towels

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Bath towels off as a design on paper before the design can be put into a machine which makes and spins the fabric. Then when the material is ready, it is warped. The fabric is stretched and pulled in a lengthy process before the weaving starts where the machine then weaves the material into it's end result. After this comes the final touches - cutting to size, bleaching or dyeing.

10. Glass cups

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Glass is a material which has less consequences to the environment and the process does not release the same harmful chemicals. First the process starts with melting down glass. Then you have enough molten glass to pour into the shaping mould. Once it is cooled and hardened you then have your glass cup!

11. Carpet

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Your carpet starts out of thousands of loose fibres. They are then put into a machine there they are heated and formed into sections. Then a needle goes through the back of the fabric (a hook holds it in place) and back through the front to create a loop. This is done MANY times. But now it's much quicker as it is all done in a machine.

12. Wooden chair

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A chair starts out as a singular slab of wood, and a design on paper. Then according to the design the wooden parts are all cut up, assembled and attached together. After assembling the design it's a pretty raw looking piece. So it is then sanded, oiled and polished. A stain is then applied to give it its colour.

13. Windows

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To make a glass windows, first the glass is heated and made into a molten mixture where it is then poured onto a large sheet and cooled to form a panel of glass. Then it is cut to size depending on the window. It is then cleaned with a high pressure machine and then the pieces of the window frame are cut and sealed together through welding. Then the frame and glass are fitted together.

14. Rubber bands

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Rubber bands are made by scientific processes and reactions. It is formed by the polymers in the latex 'cross-linking' which changed the chemical properties of its make up. So, what was before a liquid is now a solid and the molecules have hardened and formed stronger covalent bonds than before.

15. Soap

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Soap can be made in two different ways. The most popular modern was is the cold process. This involves mixing together fatty acids (a kind of oil such as hemp or olive oil) with lye (sodium hydroxide) and it is very important that the quantities are measured very carefully to form the desired chemical reaction to make soap. It takes around 6 weeks for this process.

16. Pencils

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First a machine cuts all of the wood to a standard pencil size and then the pencil has the edges shaped, waxed and stained. There are little bumps cut inside which will hold the graphite and these are filled with glue. The graphite itself is mixed with clay and it is baked in an oven at 1500 Fahrenheit and then it is inserted inside the wooden pieces which are then all squeezed and held together.

17. Candle

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Making Candles is fairly simple. You start by melting amounts of wax. This is the part you choose what colour or scent you would like your candle to be. You add these into the mixture before pouring the melted wax into a mould and adding a wick before it sets.

18. Cutlery

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Cutlery is usually made of silver or stainless steel. First you need sufficient quantities of metal which then has to be smelted. It is then poured into moulds where the silver hardens and forms the shape we know. Before the silver is fully melted there will be any embellishments added.

19. US dollars

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Currency is not made from pure paper -it's actually made up of linen and mainly cotton. Reb and blue fibres are randomly distributed throughout the sheet of the bill, this is what makes it hard to copy. Watermarks are printed on as well as security threads which are continually varying to keep ahead of fraudulency. With each print, there is a unique printing pattern for the transferring of ink onto the paper. Then the printing press finishes the money.

20. Crocs

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Crocs are made up of a particular kind of resin which is called Croslite. Croslite is a kind of Ethylene Vinyl-Acetate substance (it's also resistant to bacteria hiding inside). This is heated and the machine adds some of the mix to each of the moulds which form the vert distinct shape that forms a pair of Crocs!

21. Toothpaste

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Toothpaste is all to do with chemistry, it is made up of a mixture of things such as abrasives, thickeners, humectants and more. The balance and formation of the ingredients changes from brand to brand. Then once the essential ingredients are added, sweeteners and colour are added as well as fragrances to make the product customer appealing.

22. Watches

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A watch is a very intricate design. And for a traditional watch there is no machine to complete the process. Instead each component has to be crafted and fitted together with time and patience. These have to be fitted perfectly together to create the moving cogs. Then the battery is added to make everything move altogether.

23. Cell phones

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Cell phones are made up of many different components. First each of these components are made, such as the microphone and the motherboard and the Sim card. All of these elements are first made separately before being put together and fitted by a machine which then ensures that everything can function together at the same time.

24. Basket

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Baskets are used for our dirty washing or to keep our items in. Traditionally they are made by weaving together pieces of material (fibres which have been oiled and dyed) in a kind of plait or rotation. The modern process is very similar but it is now often done by a machine instead.

25. Tennis balls

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 First the rubber is prepared by heating it to a very high temperature. They are put into half moulds and put into a hydraulic press and put together as one before being cooled. The machine cuts the felt in a rounded rectangular shape. Then the felt is slotted together around the core of the ball.

26. Lamps

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Lamps are made though glass blowing. First the glass is heated to a very high temperature and then it is shaped using a blowpipe so that the glass forms different kinds of shapes. When it is cooled the glass is set in the shape and it is then cut down to get the desired effect.

27. Magnets

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Magnets are made first, by melting and moulding the metal (certain metals not any) into shape. Then, the metal to become magnetic has to be exposed to a magnetic field with a magnetic field, which is done by making it vibrate within the magnetic field.

28. Cotton buds

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First the stick is made, either of wood or rolled paper or plastic. The end of the cotton bud is made up of cotton which has been spun. The exterior is coated in a material which protects the absorbent material so that only the cotton end exposed is the part which can absorb.

29. Coffee

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Once the coffee beans are grow and collected and separated from the cherry, they are then left out in the sun to dry out, whilst being consistently turned over. Next is the milling process, which removes the exterior of the bean. Then, they have to be roasted and finally ground up and ready to sell.

30. Vaseline

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Vaseline as we know is made up of petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is made up of a mixture of different minerals as well as oils and waxes. It is then heated and mixed until the correct texture is formed. It can then be used on its own or added to other products such as face creams.