Box One: Sensory Science
Box One is all about Sensory Science!!
At Home Science Experiment One: Oobleck
Materials Supplied:
- Cornstarch (2 cups)
- Water (1 cup)
- Food colouring, optional
Method:
- Pour 2 cups cornstarch into a mixing bowl
- If you prefer to colour the mixture, add a few drops of food colouring to 1 cup of water and stir to mix
- Pour the coloured water into the mixing bowl containing cornstarch
- Use a spoon or stirrer to mix all of the ingredients together.
Note 1: since all of the ingredients in this science experiment are non-toxic and food safe, it is fine to use any bowls or containers you have at home for this project.
Note 2: Store your oobleck mixture for up to 24 hours in an airtight container or zip lock bag. After this time, please discard the mixture as it can turn mouldy.
Results:
Explore this magical substance using your hands. Just dip them right in, but beware, pushing hard and fast on the top of the oobleck will feel like you are touching a solid surface. But if you allow your fingers and hands to enter slowly, it will feel like you are immersing your hands in a liquid. So, which is it?
A few things to try:
- Try dipping a few things into the oobleck mixture. Start with your finger then try any kitchen utensils, small hard toys or some dice. Move the objects into the oobleck mixture slowly and you will be able to easily reach the bottom.
- Now try hitting the oobleck surface hard and fast. The oobleck will feel like you are hitting a solid and make it feel very hard for you to even penetrate the surface, let alone reach the bottom.
- Pick up a sample of the mixture and roll it in a ball. It will feel like a solid. You’re your hand and it will flow over and between your fingers like a liquid.
- For young children, hide small toys, cars, dinosaurs in the oobleck mixture and see if they can find them and dig them out.
- Lift the bowl of oobleck and try to pour it - will it flow like a fluid or slide like a solid?
For more advanced scientists:
Did you know you can make oobleck dance to music?
Place your oobleck mixture onto a thin metal tray covered in a sheet of baking paper.
Place the tray directly top of a music speaker and find some music to play at high
volume. You will have to experiment with different music frequencies to see what works best, as it will be dependent on a range of factors such as oobleck mixture, tray thickness, tautness of the baking paper, music speaker quality, etc.
As a starting point, search for subwoofer test MP3 music and try high volume at 65 Hertz.
When you hit the right combination, enjoy watching your oobleck lift, bounce, vibrate and dance around the tray!
At Home Science Experiment Two: Elephant Toothpaste
Materials Supplied:
- 1⁄2 cup 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
- 1 tbsp dishwashing detergent
- Liquid Food colouring
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 3 tbsp. Warm water
- Conical flask
- Funnel
Method:
- Add Hydrogen Peroxide to the conical flask using the funnel to pour without spilling
- Use the pipette by squeezing the end slightly to extract the dishwashing detergent from the vial and then squeeze the tip again to release the detergent into the conical flask
- Use the pipette to add a few drops of food colouring to the conical flask
- Hold the neck of the conical flask to swirl the contents to assist mixing
- In a separate beaker, add ...... hot water to the contents of your yeast sachet and stir using a teaspoon
- Pour the yeast mixture into the conical flask containing the mixture prepared earlier.
Results:
Watch with amazement as the elephant toothpaste mixture erupts from the conical
flask
For a more challenging experiment:
Variation One: Mix the following in a conical flask and watch a more dramatic eruption!
- 20% Hydrogen Peroxide
- Dishwashing detergent
- Food colouring
- Potassium Iodide
Method:
Add the ingredients in the order listed above. The eruption will be faster and more
dramatic.
Safety Note: allow the elephant toothpaste to cool down before touching it. The
substitution of the Potassium Iodide in place of the yeast causes the mixture to rise in temperature considerably.
Variation Two: Mix the following in a conical flask and watch a more dramatic eruption!
- 35% Hydrogen Peroxide
- Dishwashing detergent
- Food colouring
- Potassium Iodide
Method:
Add the ingredients in the order listed above. The eruption will be explosive so stand back when you watch! Unlike the other two experiments where the elephant toothpaste squirms out of the neck of the conical flask, in this variation, the mixture will shoot straight up into the air!
For budding scientists to note: the same mixture can be poured onto a regular sponge instead of into a conical flask and the elephant toothpaste will grow just the same.
You might also like to try using more than one colour when food coloring is added to create a two-toned or rainbow effect. To do this, add the food colouring from different side of the glass to try to keep them as separate as possible.
At Home Science Experiment Three: Slime
Materials Supplied:
- 2/3 cup Elmer’s Glue
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda/bi-carb soda
- 3 cups of shaving cream
- 2 tablespoons contact lens solution
- 1⁄4 cup water
- Liquid food colouring
Note: if you decide to make this again by sourcing your own ingredients, just make sure any contact lens solution you use contains boric acid in the ingredients list as this is needed to interact with the glue to form the slime.
Method:
- Add your white glue, water and baking soda to a bowl and mix.
- Add the foamy shaving cream to the same bowl and mix.
- Add a few drops of liquid food colouring then mix.
- Slowly add the contact lens solution to the mixture, noting that the mixture will be quite sticky to begin with.
Results:
An awesome sensory experience as you dip your hands in the slime, mould, stretch and shaping the slime, while enjoying how it feels on your hands. It will ooze between your fingers, but not stick to your skin.
Try pulling the slime slowly to see if it stretches.
Roll the slime into a ball and see if it bounces.
Flatten your slime into a pancake and then lift and hold it up from one edge and observe what it does.
You might also like to try adding some sparkle to your mixture if you have any glitter at home.
Hundreds and Thousands are another fun variation to add to texture and colour to your slime mixture too.