Science in the Park - Ghoulish Science!

This week at Science in the Park - we made slime, goo, and blew up balloons....with a chemical reaction!

Experiment 1: Slime

In this experiment we mixed together borax and glue to form goo-y slime!

Materials:

• Borax (bought it at Target!!)
• Water
• 2 mixing bowls
• Glue

How To:

• Mix 1 teaspoon borax in 1 cup water.
• Mix equal parts glue and water (ex. 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup glue)
• Add a little bit of food coloring to the glue and water mixture to make it look cool!
• Slowly add one teaspoon of the borax solution to the glue solution and stir.  It will begin to stick together and form into slime! 
• Enjoy playing with the slime!  Wash hands after because the borax is a chemical.

 

The Science:

When the borax, glue, and water are mixed together, long molecule chains are formed.  These chains are called "polymers" which you may have heard when referring to plastics.  Plastics are a type of polymer!

 

Experiment 2: Goblin Goo!

In this experiment cornstarch and water are mixed together to form a fun goo!

Materials:

• Yogurt cup
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Food coloring

How To:

• Mix 1 part cornstarch with 2 parts water (example 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water)
• Add a little bit of food coloring to make it look cool!
• Push your finger in slowly and it will feel like a liquid.  Push your finger in quickly and it will feel like a solid!

The Science:

You just formed a "Non-Newtonian" substance!  This is a substance that doesn't follow Newton's law that a liquid flows at a predictable, consistent rate.  The reason why it acts the way it does is because the cornstarch is very fine and the particles are basically held in suspension in the water (they are not dissolved).  Since cornstarch is unique in that when pressure is applied, the grains of cornstarch will hold their shape and size - it reacts to pressure by holding its shape; but if you move slowly then you are not putting pressure on the grains and they moves out of the way.

Experiment 3: Monster Balloons

This experiment uses a chemical reaction to blow up a balloon!

Materials:

• Balloon
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Water bottle (empty)
• Sharpie

How To:

• Put about a teaspoon of baking soda into a balloon. 
• Fill the water bottle about a 1/3 full with vinegar.
• Holding the ball of the balloon that has the baking soda in it to one side, stretch the bottom of the balloon over the water bottle.
• When the balloon is stretched over the water bottle - lift the ball of the balloon up and shake a little so the baking soda falls into the water bottle.
• The chemical reaction will create carbon dioxide gas that will blow up the balloon!
• Once the reaction is done - tie the balloon and use the Sharpie to decorate!

The Science:

The baking soda is a base and the vinegar is an acid.  When these two mix, they cause a chemical reaction whose byproduct is carbon dioxide which is a gas that blows up the balloon!

Enjoy!