Materials
- 1 cup of cornstarch
- 1/2 cup of water
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon or your hands
- Optional: food coloring
Procedure
- Pour the cornstarch into a mixing bowl.
- Slowly add the water while stirring with the spoon.
- Mix until the texture is thick and hard when you press it, but runny when you let it sit.
- Add a few drops of food coloring if you'd like.
- Play with the mixture! Try poking it fast vs. slowly or rolling it into a ball.
Choose Your Learning Level
Elementary
Oobleck is fun because it’s both a solid and a liquid! Press it and it feels hard, but let it sit and it flows like a liquid.
Discussion Questions
- What happens when you squeeze the oobleck?
- Does it act more like a solid or a liquid?
- What other things can act like oobleck?
Middle School
Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid. It doesn't follow the normal rules of liquids. When pressure is applied, it behaves like a solid. When left alone, it acts like a liquid.
Discussion Questions
- What is a non-Newtonian fluid?
- How does oobleck react differently under pressure?
- Can you think of other non-Newtonian fluids?
High School
Oobleck demonstrates shear-thickening behavior, a property of some non-Newtonian fluids. When a force is applied, the particles in the mixture lock together and resist flow, making it feel solid.
Discussion Questions
- What causes the shear-thickening behavior in oobleck?
- How could you test the viscosity of oobleck under different conditions?
- What real-world applications use non-Newtonian materials?