Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) How the sand is made? According to scientists?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: By the combination of, when one atom of silica, two atoms of oxygen. Called silicon dioxide, the chemical name, or silica. But this is existing as a silicate, as a salt of sodium, magnesium, silicate.
Prabhupāda: So there is salt in the water. So from that salt it is produced?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. It reacts with the sodium, in the water, sodium in the water, in salt, that sodium reacts with silicic acid. So from sodium silicate, that becomes sand.
Karandhara: It's not rocks pounded down?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, rocks? Oh... No, we can make silicate very easily just by mixing the alkali, sodium and then acid, is just the reaction between the acid in the base. So forming an acid...
Prabhupāda: So far we know, there is this sand, combined with silicate of soda, makes glass.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, glass is nothing but silicate.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Finer sort. Normally silicate is shining, but this is not shining because it contains various mixtures. Not only soda, but other magnesium, calcium silicates.
Prabhupāda: Silicate of soda is mixed with soap also.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Adulteration. That's not first-class soap. Washing soap, they are mixed with silicate of soda.