Outrageous Ooze
| Chemistry: | Chemical Reactions |
| Grade Range: | Elementary School |
| Format: | Hands-on |
This is a classic hands-on demonstration that students will love to play with. Be sure to bring plenty of supplies, and towels will be handy for spills!
Materials
- Borax Powdered Detergent
- Water
- 1000mL Bottle
- Elmer's Glue or Similar
- Dixie Cups
- Popsicle Sticks
- Plastic Sandwich Bags
- Optional: Food Dye
Safety Precautions
Please read the General Safety Precautions section of the Demonstration Safety page before performing this demonstration.
Demonstration
- Set out cups and popsicle sticks. If not already mixed, pour 900mL of water into the bottle and add Borax until it reaches the 1000mL mark or the Borax stops dissolving, whichever comes first.
- When students come up, give each one a cup and a stick. fill their cups one third of the way with glue, and if you have food dye let them add 1-2 drops. Have them start mixing the glue, and as they do pour a small amount of the borax solution into the cup, filling it to the halfway mark. As they continue to stir, the glue will clump up and become a glob of slime!
- Once they have made their slime, they can scoop it out of the cup and play with it. Give them a bag to store it, and they can take their slime home with them!
Why This Works
The Outrageous Ooze is a classic demonstration that introduces kids to chemical reactions. There are several ways to tell if something has undergone a chemical reaction, with some examples being:
- A change in the color, like a shiny iron nail rusting and turning brown!
- A change in the state of matter, like a liquid cake batter baking and becoming a solid cake!
- A change in the temperature, like a piece of wood lighting on fire and becoming hot!
- A change in the appearance, like a glow stick starting to glow after being activated!
- A change in the compounds, like mixing vinegar and baking soda and getting a foam explosion made of water and carbon dioxide!
When we mix the borax solution into the glue, the borax reacts with the glue, causing it to clump and stick to itself. When the glue starts to stick to itself, it traps some of the water inside, which makes it behave like slime. This change from a liquid, sticky glue to a more solid, non-sticky glue means that we had a chemical reaction happen!
Additional Information
- This demonstration works well with the Oobleck.
- You can bring other add-ins for this demonstration, such as sparkles!