Colm Fitzpatrick
Children’s Corner
Science experiments are always a great way to learn about the world around you, and make you rethink previously held ideas. Oobleck is a classic experiment that’s perfect for entertaining both parents and kids. We often make a distinction between liquid and solid, but Oobleck is a strange substance in the middle of these two parameters.
Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, which means that it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a solid when a force is acting on it. So, you can grab and push it but it will also ooze out of your hands. It’s incredible stuff, and really fun to make and play with and can be easily washed off.
Its name comes from the Dr Seuss book Bartholomew and Oobleck where a green goo, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wreaked chaos in the kingdom. Luckily, you can make this bizarre creation in a bowl at home and all you need is corn starch, as well as some food colouring to brighten it up.
Start with one cup of water in a bowl and then add the corn starch to it. Then begin stirring it up in a bowl with a spoon. When you’re getting close to adding one and half cups of the corn starch, start adding it in more slowly and mixing it in with your hand. The goal is to get a consistency where the Oobleck is both solid and liquid. It may be the case that you need more corn starch, if so add some more. If you put in too much, add some water back into it. The best way to know whether you’ve got the right consistency is to play around with it for a while until it begins to feel strange.
After this, it’s time to add some colour. It’s a fun challenge to stir in the food colouring, and you will have to slowly mix the Oobleck around to get it thoroughly mixed. After completing this step, you now have your own Oobleck and can discover all of the interesting tricks you can do with it.
Puddle
For example, grab a handful, squeeze it and let it ooze out between your fingers; put it into a plastic container and shake it or quickly bump it against and table; or make a puddle and quickly drag your fingers through it. Believe it or not, if you make enough you can actually walk on it – although this would certainly require your parents’ permission!
Have fun with it and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly when you’re finished. If you get bored, there are plenty more experiments like this which you can find on the internet. The possibilities are endless!