Gloopy Oobleck
Is it a liquid or a solid?
THE EXPERIMENT
If you want to try making Oobleck at home put it in a washing-up bowl, filling a pool might be a step too far. Instead of walking across it try hitting it and see what happens. Or try rolling it into a ball and watch what happens when you stop moving it. See if you can find the quickest way to get it from one container to the other. Here are the instructions for making your Oobleck:
All you need is corn starch and water. Add food colouring if you want to make things a bit more colourful!
Recipe:
- 1 cup water
- 1.5-2 cups corn starch
- a few drops of food colouring of your choice
Just stir it all together and even as you stir you will feel it changing. The amounts aren't set so try adding more corn flour to find a thicker texture. That is if you can stir it in!
Scientists haven't decided yet what makes Oobleck behave like this; there are a few different theories about the shape of the polymer molecules in corn flour and what happens when you mix it with water. Could it be that the long polymer chains get tangled and can't slide as easily or is it the surface tension of the water between the molecules?
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