My daughter has a school project activity that needs be done at home since it is still lock down due to Covid-19 pandemic. So we surf around and we manage to come across this science experiment called oobleck. The name it self already sounds interesting so we find out more about it.
Actually, the materials needed for this experiment is very simple and can be found in you very own kitchen. In fact it's one of the reason why we perform this experiment - because the materials are available straight away and we don't need to go out to buy it.
Like us before, you might be wondering what is really an oobleck. An oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid; it has properties of both liquids and solids. You can easily dip your hand into it like a liquid, but if you squeeze the oobleck or punch it, it will feel solid. The name oobleck comes from the Dr. Seus book, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck." In the story, oobleck, a gooey green substance, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom. [25]
Playing with oobleck is really fun and very satisfying. Kids will surely love playing this for hours.
So lets find out what are the things that we needed for this experiment.
MATERIALS:
- 1.5 to 2 part of corn starch
- 1 part water
- Food coloring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put the corn starch in a bowl or container.
- If you would like to have a color, you can add food coloring in the water.
- Then slowly pour the water and constantly stir until you got the gooey consistency.
- Finally play with it as much as you can...
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- Be aware that oobleck will get dry if exposed to air for long time. So you can store it in an air tight container. Mix occasionally to maintain its consistency.
- If you are using food coloring be careful in handling it as it could stain your skin or clothing.
- Oobleck is not poisonous, but it has awful taste. Make sure you wash your hand very well after playing.
- You can easily dispose the oobleck. You can either throw it directly to the bin or you can mix with lots of hot water to make it very loose slurry when you dispose it in the sink.
- Wear old clothes or protection when playing with oobleck as it could be very messy.
- It is recommended to cover your playing area with newspaper or large plastics to protect it and prevent too much cleaning up after this experiment.
SCIENCE BEHIND OOBLECK
Oobleck is a mixture of a solid (corn starch) suspended in a liquid (water). Oobleck behaves like a solid when force is acted on it quickly. This is because the pressure forces all the particles of corn starch together and they behave like a solid. When you move through it slowly, the particles of corn starch have the time to move away and "slip" around the object. It can be helpful to explain it to children like sand at the beach. If you punch the sand, it doesn't move, but you can wiggle a finger into the sand fairly easily.[26]
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