Cornstarch Goo-Liquid or Solid?
- by KitchenPantryScientist
This experiment is easy, non-toxic and so much fun that it is worth every bit of the mess it makes. Your kids will love it!
All you need is a cup of cornstarch and half a cup of water with a little food coloring in it (purple and green and red would be gross!) Mix the two ingredients to a medium-size bowl with a spoon or your fingers. The goo should be the consistency of syrup.
Now, play with the mixture! You will discover that it behaves like a solid when you agitate it, or move it quickly, and like a liquid when you let it sit still. Pour some onto plates or into bowls if you want to. We poured it directly onto our table which was pretty messy, but lots of fun! Hold a handful on your palm and watch it drip between your fingers! Roll it into a ball. If it gets too dry, just add a little more water. You can easily clean the goo off of flat surfaces using a plastic spatula. Wash it off hands with water.
Cornstarch molecules are like long ropes. When you leave them alone, or move them slowly, they can slide past each other and look like a liquid. However, if you squeeze them, stir them or roll them around in your hands, the ropey molecules look and feel more like a solid. Materials like cornstarch goo are known as non-Newtonian fluids, since they don’t have the normal properties of either a liquid or a solid.
Click here to watch my video on how to make cornstarch goo.