Oobleck

No, not that kind of snot! It's called "oobleck," and if you've ever read Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss, then you'll know what I'm talking about. But, what is oobleck? Is it a solid? A liquid? Or is it possible to be both?

You know what solids and liquids are, don't you? Think rocks and water. They're completely different. Put a bunch of rocks in a bucket. Do they fill the entire space of the bucket? Nope. Because a solid cannot change its shape, there's room in the bucket where the rocks haven't filled in the space.

Now, fill that same bucket with water. There's no space left over. That's because a liquid can flow and take the shape of whatever container you put it in.

In science terms, oobleck is a "non-Neutonian" fluid--a substance that demonstrates properties of both a solid and a liquid, depending on the circumstances.

Making oobleck is fun, and easy, but make sure and ask a parent's permission before you start making a mess.

You'll need the following ingredients:

--1/2 quart of water;

--About 2 boxes of cornstarch; and

--Food coloring (green works best.)

Put the water and food coloring in a large bowl and begin adding the cornstarch and mixing. Eventually, the mixture will get thicker; keep adding and stirring. You will know when you have Oobleck!

Once you've made your oobleck, that's when the fun begins. Go ahead, play with it. Try pouring it into a glass. What happens? Pour it into you hand, it's like slime. Try picking it up and then squeezing it as hard as you can. Make a fist. When you let go, you should have a hard ball that slowly seems to "melt" back into a liquid. After you've played with your oobleck, make sure and help your parents clean up the mess. They like that.

What have we learned? It is possible to be solid like a rock and wet like a liquid!

Date: 2/21/06