Super Slime Sensation! Make Your Own Cornflour Slime!
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October 22, 2024 / DIY / Stem Activities / Chemistry / Age 6 - 8 / Cornflour Slime
Have you ever seen something that's both a solid and a liquid? Today's experiment is just that magical! Using common household cornflour and water, you can create a marvellous "liquid". It flows like water when you touch it gently, but when you hit it hard, it resists like a solid. This fascinating substance is called a "non-Newtonian fluid". Let's take a look!
- Age: 6-8
- Time: Less than 1 hours
- Messiness level: Very messy
Materials Needed:
- Plate or basin (choose a suitable container based on how much slime you want to make)
- Water
- Cornflour
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Prepare cornflour and water in a 2:1 ratio. For example, if you're using 2 cups of cornflour, you'll need 1 cup of water. Pour the cornflour into the plate and gradually add the water, stirring constantly as you go.
- If it feels too dry or too wet, add small amounts of water or cornflour as needed until you have a smooth but thick liquid. Take a small handful of the slime and place it in your palm. If it flows like a liquid but hardens like a solid when you squeeze it, your slime is ready.
- The magic of non-Newtonian fluids doesn't stop there. Try hitting it hard with a hammer and see what happens. Now try gently placing the hammer on the slime. What's different?
- If you've made enough slime, you can try an even more exciting experiment - stand on it directly! Jump vigorously and feel your feet being supported; then stand still and let your feet be swallowed by the slime.
The Science Behind It:
This is the magic of non-Newtonian fluids! Ordinary liquids, like water, flow regardless of the force applied to them - these are called "Newtonian fluids". But non-Newtonian fluids are different; they exhibit different properties when you apply different forces.
Cornflour slime is a non-Newtonian fluid. When you touch it gently, water molecules can easily slide past the cornflour particles, making the slime flow like a liquid. But when you hit it hard, the cornflour particles are compressed, they can't slide through the water, so the slime behaves like a solid.
