Science with Sarah: Oobleck Slime

Watch the video of Sarah’s science experiment at Mora Elementary in the video above

Hello parents, teachers and students! If you’re looking for a fun way to explore mixtures, solutions, states of matter, and solubility, this experiment is for you!

Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED

FOR EXPLORING MIXTURES/SOLUTIONS

• 3 clear cups

• Water

• Sugar, sand, and corn starch

• A spoon

FOR THE OOBLECK

• A large container

• 2 cups corn starch

• 1 cup water

• Food dye (optional)

DO THE SOLUBILITY EXPERIMENT

• STEP 1: Fill the 3 clear cups with water

• STEP 2: Add to each cup a spoonful of either sugar, sand, or cornstarch

• STEP 3: Stir each mixture and observe which materials dissolve in the water

• NOTE: The sugar should dissolve completely in the water. The sand will not dissolve at all. The corn starch will somewhat dissolve in the water.

MAKE THE OOBLECK

• STEP 1: Measure out 1/2 cup of water and add the food dye to the water

• STEP 2: In the large container, place 1 cup of cornstarch

• STEP 3: Pour the colored water into the large container with the cornstarch and mix using your hands (NOTE: This will be messy! Make sure to have plenty of paper towels nearby and maybe use an apron to cover your clothes!)

• STEP 4: Try compressing the Oobleck in your hands into a ball. Observe how it quickly “melts” into a liquid.

• STEP 5: You can store your Oobleck in the fridge to use for later. When you’re ready to dispose of your Oobleck, throw it away in the trash. Large amounts of cornstarch should not go down the pipes.

HOW IT WORKS

Because cornstarch is not totally soluble in water, it can make a non-Newtonian fluid when combined with water.

A non-Newtonian fluid does not follow Newton’s laws of viscosity. That may be a mouthful, but basically, Oobleck is a fluid that can exist both as a solid and a liquid depending on how much force you use!