Lollipops will forever remain a childhood favorite. No kids’ party was complete without them, and one of the best parts of eating a lollipop was turning the plastic stick with a hole into a makeshift whistle. As fun as that was, that hole actually has a purpose.
When candy makers pour the hot, melted candy into the mold, some of it drips into the hole and hardens, so the candy stays on the stick without falling off and becoming a choking hazard.
The Lid on Tic Tac Packages
Everybody loves Tic Tacs. And even if you don't, there's still a 99 percent chance you've tried them at least once in your life. If you've ever opened one of those cute little boxes where Tic Tacs come in, you've probably realized there's a small indentation on the lid. The first thing that comes to mind is that it has something to do with keeping the plastic box tightly sealed.
While this is definitely the case, the indentation serves another purpose as a dispenser that gives you your Tic Tacs one at a time. Just shake the box upside down, put it back upright, open the lid, and you'll see there's a Tic Tac that fits perfectly in that indentation, just waiting to be grabbed!
The Metal Plates on Staplers
If you've ever worked in an office, you're probably incredibly familiar with staplers (and how infuriating it can be when it's stuck). If so, you've definitely noticed the metal plate they have at the front end, and probably assumed it was there as reinforcement to bend the staples. While this is, in fact, one of its functions, it's certainly not the only one.
Your average stapler actually has settings, and that metal plate, called an anvil, helps you adjust them. If you turn your stapler upside down, you can change the setting by spinning the wheel until it is lined up with the hole in the metal plate. This will turn the arms of your staple outward and make it much easier to pull out the staple later if you need to, like a "temporary staple."
The Threaded Bands on Audio Jacks
If you were to look closely at an audio jack, you'd notice it has deep ridges. These bands are there so it's a tighter fit when the jacks are plugged in, but this is just one of their functions.
The threaded bands are made of an insulating material that protects the wires when sound is being transmitted. What's more, the number of ridges on a jack will tell you which end goes where.
Silica Gel Packets
Everybody knows that silica gel packs are there to preserve a product's "freshness." But have you ever wondered how this little bag of tiny beads manages to do that? Silica gel sucks the moisture out of its environment, and they absorb up to 50% of the humidity in an enclosed environment, helping keep things nice and dry.
Next time you buy a new product that has one of these little packets, save it instead of throwing it out — next time your phone falls in the toilet, you can quickly shove it into a handful of these little beads. Definitely works better than rice, and is far less messy!