Making Slime
Materials: ★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required
Categories: Kitchen Chemistry, Materials, Polymers
Alternative titles: Homemade Slime
Summary
This classic slime recipe combines glue and Borax solution to create a stretchy, gooey substance. The process demonstrates how polymers can cross-link to form new materials, making it a fun way to explore chemistry through hands-on play.
Procedure
- In one bowl, mix about ¼ of a bottle of glue with ¼ cup of water. - Add food coloring if you want colored slime. - Stir in ¼ cup of liquid Borax solution. - Slime will begin to form immediately. Stir, then knead with your hands until it becomes less sticky. - Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to keep it from growing mold.
Links
Let's Make Slime Snot 🤧 Science Experiment for Kids | Play School Science Time - ABC Kids:
7 Different Kinds of Slime | Science Experiments You Can Do at Home | Science Max #Slime - Science Max:
📄 How to Make Slime - Science Buddies: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/how-to-make-slime
Variations
- Add glitter for sparkly slime.
- Mix in glow-in-the-dark paint or thermochromic pigment for color-changing slime.
- Use tonic water for slime that glows under black light.
- Adjust the amount of borax to change the slime’s texture and stretchiness.
Safety Precautions
- Do not eat slime. - Always wash hands after making or playing with slime. - Supervise children closely when handling Borax solution. - Store slime properly to prevent mold growth.
Questions to Consider
- What role does Borax play in turning liquid glue into slime? (Borax crosslinks the glue’s polymers.)
- Why does kneading change the slime’s texture? (It allows the crosslinking reaction to progress evenly throughout the mixture.)
- How is slime an example of a polymer? (It consists of long chains of molecules linked together, similar to plastics and rubbers.)