Thursday, July 7, 2011

151: Science Fun


I stumbled upon a fascinating material today. On a whim and based on a partial memory of toddler crafts, I mixed some cornstarch and water to entertain my daughter. But I couldn't seem to get the mixture right. One moment it was solid cement, the next it was thin as water. Did I need to add more cornstarch, or more water?


I turned to the internet for the answer and realized I had mixed up a batch of Oobleck, a non-newtonian liquid that can be poured but acts as a solid when force is applied. What an exciting discovery! The kids and I had a blast playing with this cool gooey substance, mixing up batch after batch until the box of cornstarch was empty. 

2 comments:

  1. My kids loved oobleck!!!
    I can't help but wonder though..... what were you trying to do when you created this?

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  2. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. Something paint-like? Maybe what I was remembering was some tiny kids "painting" with just corn starch? Really wish I could fill out that partial memory!

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