Science Links

We had fun making a polymer. There are several different recipes that can be used. Have fun making different types.

Ooey Gooey Silly Putty

Ingredients:
1 part liquid starch
2 parts Elmer’s glue

Directions:
Add glue to starch and mix with hands until it forms a ball. Knead 5-10 minutes. If
it is too sticky, add a little starch. If it is too runny, add some glue. Did you get the
same results as those groups making Homemade Slime? Why or why not? Does
yours look different than the rest of the “homemade” goodies?

  Ooblech

Ingredients:
cornstarch
a small amount of water
stirring rod
container
measuring spoon

Combine a handful of cornstarch with a spoonful of water. Stir and add more
water if the substance seems too crumbly. Properly mixed, the substance should
seem liquidy on top. Poke it with your finger to make sure. Now pour a little into
your hand, squeeze, and release. Have fun, but if the ooblech seems to be
drying out, add a little more water.
The forces of attraction between the starch molecules and the water vary with the
amount of applied pressure. When are the attractive forces strongest? When are
they weakest? Does yours look different than the rest of the “homemade”
goodies?


Flubber

Ingredients:
Large container
1 cup of water
white glue
2 tsp. borax

Directions:
In the container mix the water and the borax. Then add the glue. The more glue
you add, the bigger the glob will be. Stir well. After a minute, pick up the glob and
mush it in your hand, mixing in any pockets of glue left. If you roll it in a ball, you
can bounce it on the floor. Did you get a different result than the GOOP? Does
yours look different than the rest of the “homemade” goodies?



Homemade Slime

Ingredients:
Borax
White glue
Water
Ziploc bag

Directions:
Take one cup of water and add to it 1 tablespoon of borax. Stir until complete
dissolved.
Make a 50% water, 50% glue solution. Take ¼ cup of each and mix thoroughly.
In a Ziploc bag, add equal parts of the borax solution to equal parts of the glue
solution. ½ cup of each will make a cup of slime.
Seal bag and knead the mixture.
Dig in and have fun.
The borax is acting as a cross-linking agent or connector for the glue (polyvinyl
acetate) molecules. Once the glue molecules join together to form even larger
molecules called polymers, you get a thickened gel very similar to slime. Look at
the other “homemade” goodies. How does yours compare?