Slime-Making Kit

Materials Included

2 oz. mixing cup with lid
Mixing stick
Large 25 ml pipet containing 4% polyvinyl solution
Small 5 ml pipet containing 4% sodium borate solution
Instructions

Other Materials

Scissors
Food coloring (optional)
Glow-in-the-Dark Pigment (optional)

Making Slime

1. With a pair of scissors, carefully cut the sealed tip off the stem of the large pipet containing the polyvinyl alcohol solution. Be careful not to squeeze the bulb of the pipet as you cut the tip.

2. Carefully squirt all of the polyvinyl alcohol solution into the mixing cup by gently squeezing the bulb. Note: It may take 3 or 4 squeezes of the pipet bulb to completely empty the pipet.

3. Optional. The polyvinyl alcohol may be dyed with one drop of food coloring (not included). Alternatively, Educational Innovations' Glow-in-the-Dark Pigment may be added to make glowing slime. To make glowing slime, simply add approximately 1/4 teaspoon of glowing pigment to the polyvinyl alcohol solution. Mix well after adding any coloring or pigment and continue with the next step.

4. Use scissors to cut the sealed tip off the small pipet containing the sodium borate solution. Again, be careful not to squeeze the bulb of the pipet as you cut the tip.

5. While stirring with the included mixing stick, slowly add all the sodium borate solution to the polyvinyl alcohol solution in the mixing cup. Notice how the mixture thickens as the sodium borate solution is added. Continue until all the sodium borate has been combined. Note it may take 3 or 4 squeezes of the pipet bulb to completely empty the pipet. Continue mixing for at least 1 full minute after all the sodium borate solution is combined.

6. Your slime is finished! Pick it up in your fingers and feel your slime. Be sure to experiment with it. Notice that when you pull it apart it breaks, while if you let it sit on the table or in the mixing cup it flows like a liquid.

7. When you are finished experimenting, store your slime in the mixing cup and tightly cover the container with the included lid to keep your slime from drying out. Remember to wash your hands when you are finished.

8. Disposal. Both the empty pipets and the mixing stick may be disposed of in the trash. Your slime can be stored tightly covered in the mixing cup. As with any science experiment, your slime should not be consumed! Do not taste it or eat it, and do not leave it where a pet or young child might have access without supervision. If your slime should become smelly or moldy, throw it away. Slime will stick to some materials. To avoid a real mess, keep it away from fabrics, paper, and wooden furniture.

Explanation

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) consists of a very long chain-like molecule called a polymer. The PVOH molecule is made up of repeating links called monomers. PVOH solution is viscous (thick) because all of these molecules stick to each other and to the water which surrounds them, just like a pot full of spaghetti.

When the sodium borate (borax) is added, the borax molecules form cross links between the PVOH polymers and connect many of the PVOH molecules together. The result is a new material which is even more viscous and has physical properties of both a solid and a liquid.

Because the bonds between the PVOH and the Borax consist of weak hydrogen bonds, the slime material is a visco-elastic gel and can flow like an extremely viscous liquid.

Experiments to Try

1. Place your slime onto a flat surface and observe that it flows like a liquid. Try stretching your slime into a very thin sheet by holding it in your fingers and carefully stretching it sideways as it flows down. Roll it, then pick it up and let it hang to make a very long slime snake.

Break your slime into two pieces and then hold the two pieces together. See how long it takes the two pieces to join together into one piece again.

2. Measure how fast your slime flows. Roll your slime into a ball and place it on a sheet of acetate. Use a marker to trace the shape of your slime onto the acetate. Trace it every minute or so and notice how it continues to flow outward... don't forget to mark each trace with the time. After a few minutes, remove your slime and place your acetate over a piece of graph paper. Calculate the area of each contour by counting the number of boxes within each tracing. Graph the area of each trace verses time to get a graph of the flow rate. Try taping the acetate to an inclined book or board to speed up the flow of the slime.

3. Try letting your slime dry out! Stretch your slime into a flat sheet and place it on a piece of plastic wrap. Let it dry for a couple of days, observing how it changes as the water it contains evaporates. Polyvinyl alcohol is a plastic, and as it dries it becomes hard and brittle.

4. Try to rehydrate your slime. After letting your slime completely dry out, add a tablespoon of water and let it sit overnight. Notice, once again, how your slime changes.