Slime!

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Slime, as you know, is both runny and solid. This type of material is a non-Newtonian fluid.

Typically, liquids and fluids take on the shape of the container they are poured into. Such as water. These ‘normal liquids’ are called Newtonian fluids. But some fluids don’t follow this rule. We call these ‘strange liquids’ non-Newtonian fluids.

FACT: Non-Newtonian fluids can act as a solid or liquid depending on its environment and condition.

Theory: Solutions

In chemistry, a solution is a mixture composed of two or more substances. The mixing process of a solution happens at a molecular level, where the chemicals can interact with each other.

FACT: Most types of slime are also examples of polymers. Polymers are molecules made by linking together chains of subunits.

In liquid form, the polymers can slide easily past each other.

Our recipe

Ingredients:

• PVA Glue (watered down)
• Borax solution
• Food colouring
• Shaving foam

Method:

1. Add a small amount of glue into the pot.
2. Stir.
3. Add colouring.
4. Stir.
5. Add shaving foam.
6. Stir.
7. Add a squirt of borax solution.
8. Stir until all liquid becomes slime.

 

Further reading

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.  wrote an awesome guide to slime with a video here:

https://www.thoughtco.com/slime-science-how-it-works-608232
Brian Rohrig has written a comprehensive article on slime and the relevant science in ChemMatters, link to the pdf document is:

https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/articlesbytopic/solidsliquidsgases/chemmatters-dec2004-slime.pdf

(or Google search for ‘science of slime’)
Rosie Research is also a great resource for all things STEM, the slime post is here:

https://rosieresearch.com/science-of-slime/