Oobleck

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid that can act like a solid or a liquid, depending on what you do. Anything that takes up space is made of matter, and we know about three of its’ most common states: solid, liquid, and gas. However, oobleck is weird because when you exert a force on it by pushing or squeezing, it acts like a solid, but when there’s little or no force, it acts like a liquid. Let’s make some!

Materials

The Science Of Oobleck

• Oobleck is made up of molecules called polymers that are arranged in long chains.

• When there is no force on the oobleck, the chains are stretched out, and it acts like a liquid.

• When you put pressure on the oobleck, the chains bundle up and stick together and it acts like a solid.

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DIRECTIONS:

1. First, measure ¾ cup of cornstarch into your bowl.

2. Next, measure and add 1/3 cup of water to the bowl.

3. Start stirring. As you stir it’ll get harder to mix, just keep going. Stir until it looks like glue.

DON’T FORGET TO CLEAN UP!

• It’s better to throw oobleck in the trash instead of pouring it down the sink.

• Oobleck doesn’t last long in storage so if you’re going to keep some around you should keep it refrigerated and don’t keep it for more than a few days.

NOW THAT YOUR OOBLECK IS READY, LET’S TRY SOME EXPERIMENTS!

• Try poking it fast with a spoon. Does it act like a solid?

• Leave the spoon on the oobleck. Does it sink like it would in a liquid?

• Can you hold the oobleck in your hand? Can you squeeze it or roll it into a ball? What happens when you let go?