SAN ANTONIO – Watch the video of Sarah’s school science experiment in the video player above.
Hello parents, teachers and students! If your kiddos are learning about weathering, make sure to do this fun demonstration with them! It speeds up the weathering process by millions of years 😉
Be sure to check out GMSA@9 on Wednesdays when KSAT Meteorologist Sarah Spivey does the demonstrations and explains the science behind it. To view, click on the video player above. Check out our Science with Sarah webpage for more fun science experiments!
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
FOR THE OOBLECK
- A large container
- 2 cups corn starch
- 1 cup water
- Food dye (optional)
DRY ICE “INSTRUMENT”
- Dry ice (NEVER HANDLE DRY ICE WITHOUT GLOVES!)
- Metal spoon
BILLIONS OF BUBBLES
- Cups/containers of different sizes/shapes
- Water
- Soap
DO THE ACTIVITIES
OOBLECK SLIME
- STEP 1: Measure out 1 cup of water and add the food dye to the water.
- STEP 2: In the large container, place 2 cups 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 the pipes.
DRY ICE “INSTRUMENT”
- STEP 1: Place a small piece of dry ice on the table in front of you.
- STEP 2: Using a spoon, press on the dry ice. It should make a silly sound.
BILLIONS OF BUBBLES
- STEP 1: Fill the containers with water and a little bit of soap.
- STEP 2: Drop some dry ice into the containers and watch as lots and lots of bubbles form.
HOW IT WORKS
OOBLECK
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 is a fluid that can exist both as a solid and a liquid depending on how much force you use!
DRY ICE
Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide that turns directly into a gas from a solid. That’s called sublimation. It makes the funny noise on the spoon because of the gas bubbles trapped against the metal. You can see the gas in the bubbles that form in the soapy water!
APPLY FOR SCIENCE WITH SARAH
Want Sarah to come out to your school? Here’s how to apply: CLICK HERE.
