OOBLECK: A NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID
Science objectives
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Reminder about the physical states(solid, liquid, gas) and their properties (5e)
Link behaviour of materials to particle structure
Notion of colloids, viscosity, non-Newtonian fluids
Following a recipe to conduct an experiment
How to measure mass and volume
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Oral practice : small group activity
Oral comprehension : video
Writing comprehension : recipe, questions
Writing and oral practice : describing properties of each state of matter
Writing practice : describing properties of oobleck they discover
Vocabulary (chemistry, states of matter)
Language objectives
Key student learning
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Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid - it does not have a fixed viscosity, instead it acts like a liquid unless a force
acts upon it when it becomes solid.
The cornflour in the oobleck forms a suspension in the water, called a colloid.
Materials needed
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Video projector and computerCorn Flour (Maïzena) ( 25g to 50 g per group)
2 beakers
spatulas
Balance + weighing dish
Graduated cylinder (50ml)
Déroulement de la séance
I. What do you know about the states of matter?
1. List properties of solids, liquids, gases :
Solids:
— Keep their shape unless they are broken
— Do not flow
— Cannot be compressed (keep the same volume)
Liquids:
— Do not keep their shape ; they take the shape of the container they are in
— Their free surface will be plane and horizontal.
— Flow
— Cannot be compressed (keep the same volume)
Gases:
— Do not keep their shape, they completely fill the container that they are in
— Flow, spread out quickly from where they are
— Can be compressed (squashed into a much smaller volume)
Anne SAVIGNY – anne.savigny@gmail.com
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(Trace au tableau + correction sur fiche ou sur cahier)
2. Do you think those are solids, liquids or gases?
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Ice
Water
Flour
Honey
Carbon Dioxide
Snow
II. Preparing some oobleck
1. Find your words
You will find on your table everything you’ll need to prepare this mysterious thing “Oobleck”. But what are the names
for all these things? Match each object with its name.
(Noms écrits sur des papiers/post-it, matériel “en vrai”.)
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Graduated cylinder
2 beakers (1 big, 1 small)
Weighing dish
Balance
Spatula
Trace écrite : schéma avec noms à compléter.
Graduated Cylinder
Beaker
Balance and weighing dish
Spatulas
2. Lab techniques
How can you measure a volume with a graduated cylinder?
How can you measure a mass with a balance and a weighing dish?
(Le professeur montre au bureau, ou avec un diaporama. Mesures de volumes, rappel de la technique pour les masses.
Pop-quizz : on montre des éprouvettes, les élèves doivent lire les volumes).
3.
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Preparing Oobleck
Pour some tap water in your small beaker.
Measure 20 mL of this water with the graduated cylinder.
Weigh 25 G corn flour. Put it in your big beaker.
Pour your 20 mL water in the big beaker too.
Stir gently and slowly with a spatula to mix it.
Anne SAVIGNY – anne.savigny@gmail.com
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Investigating
Experiment with the Oobleck.
Record your observations about the properties of Oobleck on your copybook.
For each observation decide whether it is a solid, liquid or gas property and write a S, a L or a G in the margin
according to what you decided.
Answer the question: Is Oobleck a solid, a liquid or a gas?
Discussio
What is happening? How can we decide if Oobleck is solid or liquid? Can it be both?
Some answers
Watch the video (3:36)
Maïzena : Newtons Nemesis film - Educators - Science Museum
Discussion 2
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Questions
How can you explain viscosity?
What happens with the viscosity of Oobleck?
What could one use the Oobleck for? (protective clothing e.g.)
Sound!
REMARQUES, COMPLÉMEN TS
Oobleck is a word that was used by Dr Seuss’s children. Dr Seuus is the author of the novel Bartholomew and the
Oobleck, made as a film two years ago under the title Horton Hears a Who. Now it is commonly used to describe the
sloppy goo made when corn flour and water are mixed, as in this experiment.
More information on the Science Museum website (other fluids that change viscosity):
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/educators/classroom_and_homework_resources/resources/newtons_nemesis.aspx
Plus d’explications sur le phénomène (explications, aspect microscopiques) (en français) :
www.planetseed.com/fr/node/41198
On peut également montrer aux élèves une ou plusieurs vidéos de personnes marchant (ou courant) sur ce fluide.
YouTube et une recherche de type “walking on Oobleck” donne de très nombreux résultats !
Anne SAVIGNY – anne.savigny@gmail.com
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