'Oobleck' is a fictional form of green precipitation invented by children's author
Dr. Seuss in the book ''
Bartholomew and the Oobleck''. Oobleck was called down from the sky by a king bored with ordinary
rain and
snow. Oobleck proved so sticky that it gummed up the whole kingdom, which would have perished had not a
page boy named Bartholomew Cubbins (previously renowned for his
prolifically reproducing hats) saved the day.
Non-Newtonian fluid
The word has since been used to describe a substance that is used as a
science aid to teach children about
liquids and
solids. This oobleck is created from
cornstarch OR
potato flour (1 part water to 1.5–2 parts cornstarch/potato flour. Depending on what kind you want to have; the more starch, the more solid). Though initially it acts like a liquid or a jelly, squeezing it in your hand will make it appear to be a solid for a short time. The slime-like substance also behaves in an interesting manner when thrown in the air, molded, heated, or vibrated. Substances like this that become more viscous when agitated or compressed are a subset of
non-Newtonian fluids called
dilatants.
Glurch
The related 'Glurch' is the nickname given to a
polymer substance created in many
middle school science courses. It consists of
starch,
glue and
food coloring. It is used to show the process of
polymerization.
An interesting comparison can be made between different "slimes" by making a batch of glurch and comparing the
physical properties of oobleck and glurch.
References
★
Experiments and recipes using the polymers glurch and oobleck, from Science Outreach by Faculty and Students at The University of Arizona,
[1] retrieved August 27, 2006. (Apparently requires a username and password to access.)
External links
★ on
El Hormiguero
★
"Oobleck Recipe", ''Mrs. Critchell's Kindergarten''
★
"Outrageous Ooze",
"Science Explorer",
Exploratorium
★
Go with the flow: investigating bouncy fluids and other strange materials, Science Enhancement Program
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