Just in case you're unfamiliar with non-Newtonian fluids, click here, for a great science link, that explains all about them, in a kid friendly way. The fluid we used, was a mixture of 3 cups of corn starch to 2 cups of water. If you've never made this stuff before, give it a try. Not only is it science, but it's a great boredom buster - my little ones have been happily playing away with it all morning.
Before I gave it over to them for free play though, the older kids used it for our egg drop experiment. They poured it into a Ziploc type sandwich bag, and placed in an egg.
We noticed right away, that the egg floated on top of the liquid.
Then, we sealed the bag, and for extra protection (of my floor, not the egg), sealed that bag, into a sturdy freezer bag.
Finally, my son stood on a bench, held the egg above his head, and dropped it.
Much to our surprise, the egg survived unharmed. The solid/liquid state of our mixture, absorbed, and distributed the force from hitting the floor, away from the egg.
We repeated the experiment, but with water.
Which, didn't work out, quite as well for the egg!
It's great to be a homeschooler.
This is awesome - I loved the water part best - what a great hands-on experiment. I promise that when Anna is older, I am going to revisit a lot of your suggestions :)
ReplyDeleteOh how I love the ooey and the gooey...
ReplyDeleteWhat great fun! I am with Natalie when Selena gets older I will be revisiting your blog for all your great ideas!
ReplyDeleteOkay, we are so doing this, my kids would love it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and don't pour your non-Newtonian Fluid down the drain, I've heard it will destroy your drain and clog it all up.
Ticia - Yes! I read that about not pouring it down the drain, unless you add a lot of extra water to it first. It wasn't a problem for us - it ended up in a fine layer all over the kitchen, so I took a dry towel to it, swept it up, and threw it away :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in grade school, we had this activity also. After having this activity, I imagined that what if I availed Chicago inground pool installation from professional pool contractors (Chicago-based), and we will use Non-Newtonian fluid instead of water, for sure there's no risk of drowning. It sounds so weird, but it will benefit people who are not good swimmers.
ReplyDeleteThis is a cool experiment and I love how you can do all this with just your household materials. Here are some suggestions of cool experiments too. one: rolling it into a ball then dropping it. The ball will instantly turn into a liquid. :)
ReplyDeleteHow long will this mixture keep? Will I be able to prepare tonight for school tomorrow? Should I refrigerate it?
ReplyDeleteHello,I happen to have a project that requires me and a friend to build a pinewood derby like car to put a egg inside,and make it roll down a ramp. Do you think this may work if not please say this is worth a lot of our grade thank you!
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