Slime

[kassie428]

Does anyone have a recipe for slime made from Borax that is both a solid and a liquid? I remember seeing the recipe somewhere but can't find it and I want to make it with my Webelos den as part of their scientist activity pin.

[AdvanceOn]

Below are two recipes that I have found online. I have not made either one so cannot vouch for there "workability."

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Goop (Make your own Slime)

 

1 Part Liquid starch

2 Part Elmer's Glue

Food Coloring (opt.)

Mix and enjoy. It's supposed to be like slime.

 

Flubber

Solution A:

1 1/2 C. Warm Water

2 c. Elmers Glue

Food Coloring

 

Solution B:

4 tsp. Borax1

1/3 C. Warm water

 

Mix solution A in one bowl, mix solution B in another bowl. Dissolve both well. Then just pour solution A into solution B, DO NOT MIX OR STIR! Just lift out flubber. It's neater than "Gak" or "slime". And it also a safe chemical reaction for the kids to see. I used a glass bowl for solution B so the kids could see the flubber form in the bowl. It just becomes a big "cloud" of rubbery stuff. Store in baggies. If you half the recipe, you only need to half the solution A and it will work the same.

 

 

[mschwartz]

I've used the second recipe above many times (although I just use equal parts Elmer's Glue and water). I disagree with the do not mix or stir part, though - I've always mixed/stirred and get great results! We call this one "Silly Putty" since it acts very similarly.

 

I wouldn't call it both a solid and a liquid, though - you may be thinking of the cornstarch/water mixture that acts as a non-Newtonian solid (push your hand through it slowly, it behaves like a liquid; hit it hard, it behaves like a solid). That one generally goes by the name "Oobleck".

 

A really slimy slime comes from using a solution of polyvinyl alcohol in water and then adding the same Borax solution. This one is really slimy and somewhat disgusting - kids love it. But you have to have access to polyvinyl alcohol (I teach chemistry, so that's not a problem for me ).

 

Good luck, anyhow - these are all fun!

[ScoutNut]

Here is a recipe and lesson plan for oobleck & another thing called glurch. These sound like FUN!

 

http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/oobleck/oobleck.html