The Science Behind Slime

 

Slime is a pretty cool project that is fun to make, play with, decorate, and personalize, while also being a fantastic learning tool. It's an oozy material, but won't stick to your skin. Sometimes it looks solid and sometimes it acts like a liquid. Why does this happen?

 

What is Slime?

 

Slime is called a "non-Newtonian fluid.” A scientist, Isaac Newton (1642-1727) did a ton of work with mathematics, gravity, motion, and fluids. The thickness of fluids is called "viscosity,” the more viscous a substance is, the slower it flows. A good example is slime or something you probably have a home, ketchup. Ketchup is more viscous than water, and peanut butter is more viscous than ketchup. Newton noted that the thickness of fluids and how fast a fluid would flow were affected by its temperature. When a substance is heated, it tends to be less viscous, like ice cream that's been out of the freezer too long, and if a substance like ice cream is cooled, it becomes more viscous.

 

Because slime doesn't react to hot or cold like water or ice cream does, it's considered "non-Newtonian" because its viscosity can be changed by squeezing, stirring, adding pressure, and more!

 

What do I need to make Slime?

 

Slime only needs 3 things: glue, baking soda and saline solution. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) found in Maddie Rae's Slime Glue is attracted to the baking soda and saline solution, which makes them squish together and form a long oozy, goozy, chain that makes what we know as slime!

 

Can I Use Something Instead of Borax?

 

Yes! Slime can also be made by using liquid cornstarch and Maddie Rae's Slime Glue. All you need to do is mix about 1 tsp of liquid cornstarch into 4oz of glue, and then continue to add teeny amounts of starch until you get the consistency you want. You do not need water if you are using liquid cornstarch. Check out our recipes page for more.

 

What if I get Slime on my clothes?

 

No big deal! If you get slime on your clothes just get some paper towel and vinegar and dap on the slime. It will come off easy and quickly!

 

Where do I keep my slime when I'm not playing with it?

 

Water is a very important ingredient in slime. It helps the polymer molecules slide past each other to make slime ooey-gooey. If the water in your slime evaporates, it will harden up like plastic. When you're done playing with slime to keep the maximum freshness try out our Slime Storage Containers Here. You definitely don’t want the water to evaporate and disappear from your slime.