At the beginning of my matter unit in science, I start with a fun and messy experiment that explores a mixture of cornstarch, water, and food coloring. We watch the Ninja Myths episode of MythBusters where they experiment with different ways to walk on water. At the end of the episode, they are able to actually walk across a cornstarch and water mixture! However, they discover that they can actually sink in the mixture as well. It is a fun experiment for my students to be introduced to the states of matter. Below are a couple of pictures I took, on lab day, of my own boys experimenting with the mixture after school.
This mixture is neither solid nor liquid, but it can have properties of both, depending on how you manipulate it. My students are given lab procedures that prompt them to squeeze the mixture, roll it into a ball, and open their hand to let it run down their fingers.
My students as well as my boys had a blast with this lab!
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