Today in class we did an experiment with ooblech. We were tasked with finding a conclusion as to what we thought ooblech was; a liquid or a solid. We brainstormed as to what we thought the properties of a solid were and about what the properties of a liquid were. A defining property of liquid is that it takes the form of its container where solids do not change shape.
We started our experiment by actually making the ooblech. It is made by adding 1.75 parts corn starch to one part of water. We made it in a bowl and then messed around with it for a while. I found that when we moved the ooblech around quickly it became a solid, however when we let it sit freely it would run and become a liquid.
Based on these findings I can conclude that even though ooblech can feel like a solid sometimes, it is in fact a liquid due to the fact that it takes the form of its container. I came to this conclusion because i know that even though solids can be malleable, they do not take the shape of their container. I think that on a molecular level, when you apply force the molecules become static and when at rest they move freely.
We started our experiment by actually making the ooblech. It is made by adding 1.75 parts corn starch to one part of water. We made it in a bowl and then messed around with it for a while. I found that when we moved the ooblech around quickly it became a solid, however when we let it sit freely it would run and become a liquid.
Based on these findings I can conclude that even though ooblech can feel like a solid sometimes, it is in fact a liquid due to the fact that it takes the form of its container. I came to this conclusion because i know that even though solids can be malleable, they do not take the shape of their container. I think that on a molecular level, when you apply force the molecules become static and when at rest they move freely.