Oobleck - the friendly quick sand
Almost everyone has seen a TV show or a movie where someone gets trapped in quicksand. Since you are unlikely to ever run into real quick sand, here is an experiment that you can do safely at home to experience some of the behaviors of real quicksand.
Materials Needed:
- Corn Starch (2 16 oz boxes)
- Water
- Measuring cup
- Plastic shoe box type container
- Newspaper or drop cloth
- Bowls, spoons, cookie sheet (optional)
Do this:
- Pick a large flat space as your work area and lay down the newspaper or drop cloth.
- Open one box of corn starch and pour about ¼ of it into the shoe box container.
- Slowly add some water into the corn starch.
- Stir the mixture while adding the water. You want to alternate adding corn starch and more water. You should use about 1 cup to 1.5 cups of water per 16 oz. box of corn starch.
- The resulting goo should have the consistency of honey. It take a little practice to get the corn starch/ water ratio just right, so have an extra box of corn starch so you can make adjustments.
- Once your oobleck is made, play with it!
- Experiment by putting your hand in slowly and trying to pull it out quickly.
- Trying stirring the oobleck slowly and then quickly.
- Grab a handful of it and squeeze, then open your hand and watch what happens.
- Drop a plastic toy in the oobleck and see what happens. Then try to rescue the toy.
- Pour the oobleck onto a cookie sheet and slap it.
When you are finished you can store the oobleck to be used again, you will just have to add water. Or you can pour it into a plastic container with a lid and throw it away. DO NOT pour the suspension down the sink; it may clog your pipes!
