Science Smarts: How about a Holiday sliming?
By Patty Rooks on December 16, 2023.
I do not know about you, but Christmas baking has begun. One flavour many of my family and friends often request is peppermint. Of course, I have overbought the peppermint by quit a bit, so I have had to come up with a use for it so it is not wasted. And, of course, it has to involve science, too! A new Holiday twist on that ooey, gooey slime-like material we all love. Let’s get started! *Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment. Materials • Cornstarch • Water • Measuring cups • Measuring spoons • Bowl • Wooden spoon • Food colouring (optional) • Round peppermint candies Procedure 1. Measure 125 mL (1/2 cup) of water and pour it into the bowl. 2. Add 250 mL (one cup) of cornstarch. 3. Stir well. It may be easier to stir with your hands (not to mention more fun too!). 4. At this point you can add a few drops of food colouring if you wish, but it is not necessary. 5. Add a few peppermint candies to the top of the mixture. 6. Observe how they behave in the mixture you made. 7. Push the candies into the mixture. 8. What happens? 9. If you want to make this into a science fair project, why don’t you time how long it takes for the candies to dissolve. Really the possibilities are endless! What is going on? This is really is one of my favourite “slime” recipes to make. Adding a Holiday spin on it makes it much more exciting though! In this experiment you made a non-Newtonian fluid. Wow – what is that you might ask? Well, a non-Newtonian fluid is unique in that it has properties of both a liquid and a solid. When you pick up and squeeze the mixture it should be a solid BUT if you open up your hand with it full of the mixture, it will slowly ooze out between your fingers. Pretty fun, right?! Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403-527-5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca. 26-25
