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OBJECTIVES:
Matter exists in three states: solid, liquid, and
gas, but sometimes a substance does not seem to fit
in any of these categories. Is clay or putty a solid or a liquid?
In this activity, you will make putty and have fun
investigating its behavior. You can stretch and pull it,
break it into pieces. You may be able to bounce it.
STEPS TO FOLLOW:
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For the lesson presenter: you may want to pre-pour the glue
and starch into small cups for the students and allow time
for students to wash their hands after this activity.
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Cut an 8 inch piece of plastic wrap and place it on the table in front of
you. You will use this to knead the putty. Later you will wrap your
funny putty with this plastic wrap so that it does not dry out.
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Measure the starch and glue and pour them into separate small cups.
Use twice as much starch. (For example, measure 1 teaspoon of starch and
1/2 teaspoon
of glue; or measure 1 tablespoon starch and 1 1/2 teaspoons of glue.)
You may have to exeriment with the measurements -- the drier the
putty is the easier it will form a ball and bounce on a hard surface.
(The putty on the left was made with equal
amounts of glue and starch; the putty
on the right was made with twice as much starch.)
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Pour the starch into the glue. You can
add a drop of food color. Stir the mixture with a popsicle stick.
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MATERIALS:
Elmer's Glue-All
Sta-Flo Concentrated Starch
Set Of Measuring Spoons
Plastic Wrap
Plastic Cups
Popsicle Sticks
(Optional) Food Color
(Optional) Small Plastic Bags
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As the mixture firms you can remove it from the cup, place it on
the plastic wrap and use your hands to mix your putty.
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Now have some fun! Try out these properties to see if your funny putty
behaves this way. If you pull the putty slowly
does it stretch? If you pull it quickly,
does it break? Does it bounce off hard surfaces?
Does it pick up newsprint?
Click On The Picture To See The Movie!
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If the putty is left exposed to air it will become brittle. Wrap your putty in
the plastic wrap or a small plastic bag.
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If you use other types of glue, the putty properties may not be the same.
You can use the
worksheet to record how
different glues affect the putty.
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