👉 Watch the video of Sarah’s school science experiment here!
Hello parents, teachers and students! If you’re looking for fun way to explore states of matter and solubility this experiment is for you!
Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
For the solubility experiment:
- 4 clear cups
- Water
- Salt, sand, baking soda, and corn starch
- A spoon
For the oobleck:
- A large container
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup water
- Food dye (optional)
DO THE SOLUBILITY EXPERIMENT
- STEP 1: Fill the 4 clear cups with water
- STEP 2: Add to each cup a spoonful of either salt, sand, baking soda, or cornstarch
- STEP 3: Stir each mixture and observe which materials dissolve in the water
- NOTE: The salt and baking soda should dissolve completely in the water. The sand will not dissolve at all. The corn starch will somewhat dissolve in the water.
MAKE THE OOBLECK
- STEP 1: Measure out 1/2 cup of water and add the food dye to the water
- STEP 2: In the large container, place 1 cup of cornstarch
- STEP 3: Pour the colored water into the large container with the cornstarch and mix using your hands (NOTE: This will be messy! Make sure to have plenty of paper towels nearby and maybe use an apron to cover your clothes!)
- STEP 4: Try compressing the oobleck in your hands into a ball. Observe how it quickly “melts” into a liquid.
- STEP 5: You can store your oobleck in the fridge to use for later. When you’re ready to dispose of your oobleck, throw it away in the trash. Large amounts of cornstarch should not go down pipes.
HOW IT WORKS
Because cornstarch is not totally soluble in water, it can make a non-Newtonian fluid when combined with water.
A non-Newtonian fluid does not follow Newton’s laws of viscosity. That may be a mouthful, but basically oobleck it is a fluid that can exist both as a solid and a liquid depending on how much force you use!
SCIENCE WITH SARAH
If you’d like Sarah and David to come to your school and conduct a science experiment live on KSAT, email sciencewithsarah@ksat.com.
Parents and guardians: upload a video of your child performing the activity by clicking here. Send it in and you might see it on GMSA @ 9 a.m.!