Oobleck - Science World (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind the Oobleck experiment? ›

Oobleck is a mixture of a solid (corn starch) suspended in a liquid (water). Oobleck behaves like a solid when force is acted on it quickly. This is because the pressure forces all the particles of corn starch together and they behave like a solid.

If you apply pressure to the mixture, it increases its viscosity. A quick tap on the surface of Oobleck will make it feel hard, because it forces the cornstarch particles together. If you dip your hand slowly into the mix, your fingers will slide in as easily as through water.

Hypothesis. The hypothesis is that when you mix cornstarch and water, it will create a substance that behaves like a liquid at times and a solid in other times.

Oobleck is a fascinating substance that makes an exceptional choice for a science fair project, especially when you consider that there are so many recipe variations to explore.

English. While playing with Oobleck students should identify that normally solids have a definite shape whereas a fluid can change shapes because it flows. Oobleck doesn't quite follow the rules, this suspension only behaves as a fluid some of the time. For this reason oobleck is known as a non-Newtonian Fluid.

Oobleck is technically edible, but it won't taste good! It's safe for children of all ages to play with and is a great introduction to the world of slime-making. If your children love playing with oobleck, they might also really enjoy squishing our homemade playdough.

In chemistry, oobleck is considered a colloid, a substance in which the small particles of one substance are dispersed throughout another substance, but not chemically bonded.

"This NON-EDIBLE recipe is named after the strange material that falls from the sky in Dr. Seuss' book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It's a really fun recipe to be used as a science experiment of sorts with young children.

Non-Newtonian fluids like Oobleck (a cornstarch and water suspension) have some interesting and useful applications: Dampening forces and shock absorption. Their viscoelastic properties can help dampen impacts and vibrations. This is useful for things like crowbar grips, gloves, etc.

Oobleck is a mixture of water and corn starch where the corn starch doesn't dissolve completely in the water, but exists as microscopically small lumps. In chemical terms - the corn starch and the water are still in separate phases.

What is the conclusion of oobleck? ›

The conclusion to Oobleck Lab Sabrice Turner-Johnson Conclusion: Oobleck has properties of a liquid and a solid, therefore it would be considered a non-newtonian fluid. It could not be singularly a liquid nor a solid. The three most common states of matter are gases, liquids, and solids.

When you squeeze or press on oobleck, the water is temporarily forced out of the mixture and the starch molecules are pressing against each other, causing the mixture to behave like a solid. Bayrock, Fiona. States of Matter: A Question and Answer Book.

When it hits the ground, a quick direct force is applied to the Oobleck. The cornstarch clumps together and hardens like a solid, absorbing the impact and protecting the egg.

Oobleck is an example of a fluid whose viscosity is not constant; it's viscosity changes depending on the stress or forces applied to it. If you poke it with your finger and apply a large force, it becomes very viscous and stays in place. If you gently pour it, applying little force, it will flow like water.

The goal is to get a consistency where the Oobleck reaches a state that is the liquid and yet solid.

There is really only two components in oobleck, water and cornstarch. The main chemical reaction that is involved is when you hit oobleck. The substance turns from a liquid into a solid. Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid.

SCIENCE: When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, it creates a gas called carbon dioxide. The gas begins to expand in the bottle and starts to inflate the balloon. The more gas that is created, the larger the balloon will inflate.

The sudden application of force—by stabbing the surface with a finger, for example, or rapidly inverting the container holding it—causes the fluid to behave like a solid rather than a liquid.