If you are looking for a simple science experiment you can make right now with household items, you are in the right place! Featured today on Theresa’s Reviews, I’m sharing how to make oobleck with only a few ingredients. Oobleck is an awesomely sticky substance has properties of both a liquid and a solid! This boredom buster is a fun reward activity, and it teaches fascinating science concepts.
You will need:
A mixing bowl
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
6 drops of food coloring
Mix it together!
Measure the cornstarch, and add it to the mixing bowl. Slowly add in the water, and stir it until the mixture thickens.
When you have the correct consistency, it should flow like a liquid if you move the bowl, but it becomes stiff like a solid if you squeeze it in your hand.
If you need to make it thicker, add more cornstarch.
Add the drops of food coloring, and stir until the color is mixed well throughout the substance.
What is Oobleck?
Oobleck behaves differently depending on how much force you put on it when you squeeze it or press it together. If you put more force on it, it becomes thicker and more solid. If you touch it softly or let it sit, it acts like it is liquid.
This is why you can roll it into a ball with your hands, but when you stop rolling and pressing it, it drips back into the bowl.
It’s a non-Newtonian fluid, which means it doesn’t behave like most other liquids. Some others are toothpaste, honey and shampoo.
Learn about properties of matter with Oobleck!
You can use Oobleck to learn about the properties of matter. Think about what adjectives would describe it. Consider the size, mass and texture. Use this chart to help come up with ideas!
One of my favorite things about oobleck is that it doesn’t stain and stick to surfaces the same way that slime does. You should make sure that the food coloring doesn’t leave any lasting color on surfaces where the children are going to play, but overall it is really easy to clean up afterwards!
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