Ooze, Flubber & Quicksand
By Sheryl Hoffmann
Laboratory Manger
Concordia College
shoffmann@concordia.sa.edu.au
How do you define what a liquid is ?
Activity 1 - Water
Take a cup of water & a pop stick.
Stir the water.
 Stir it fast & stir it slowly.
 Poke it fast & poke it slowly.
 Try to heap it up on one side.
Activity 2 - Ooze
1.
2.
Take a plastic cup & add 3 rounded teaspoons of
cornflour.
Add water slowly, mixing, until you get a smooth
but very thick paste.
 Stir it fast & stir it slowly.
 Poke it fast & poke it slowly.
 Try to heap it up on one side.
 Try rolling it into a ball.
Does the ooze behave in the
same way as the water?
Is the ooze a liquid or a solid?
Water is a Newtonian Fluid
Ooze, Flubber & Quicksand
are all Non-Newtonian Fluids
‘THE’ Apple Tree
Newtonian Fluids
 A Newtonian fluid (named after Isaac
Newton) is a fluid whose stress versus
strain rate curve is linear and passes
through the origin. The constant of
proportionality is known as the
viscosity. [Wikipedia]
Newtonian Fluids
A fluid that has a constant viscosity at all shear rates at
a constant temperature and pressure, and can be
described by a one-parameter rheological model. An
equation describing a Newtonian fluid is given below.
Newtonian Fluids
Basically:
The viscosity of a Newtonian fluid,
depends only on the temperature
and pressure, not on the forces
acting upon it.
Newtonian Fluids
Examples:
 Water, sugar solutions, glycerine,
silicone oils, light-hydrocarbon oils,
air and other gases.
 ie Most low molecular weight
substances, solutions and gases
Non-Newtonian Fluids
A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid whose
flow properties differ in any way from
those of Newtonian fluids. Most
commonly the viscosity (resistance to
deformation or other forces) is
dependant on shear rate or shear rate
history. [Wikipedia]

Non-Newtonian Fluids
Basically:
 They aren't solids, yet they don't
follow Newton's definition of fluids
either!
 A fluid is called non-Newtonian if its
viscosity depends on the force that
is applied to it.
Non-Newtonian Fluids
Examples:
 ketchup, toothpaste, starch
suspensions, sand in water, paint,
clays, cream and shampoo.
4 Main Types
1. Shear Thickening
2. Shear Thinning
3. Thixotropic
4. Rheopectic
Shear Thickening
 Also called Bingham plastic
 Apparent viscosity increases with
increased stress
 The surface of a Bingham plastic
can hold peaks when it is still.
Shear Thinning
 Also called pseudoplastic
 Apparent viscosity decreases with
increased stress.
 Ex paint: one wants the paint to flow
readily off the brush when it is being
applied to the surface being painted,
but not to drip excessively.
Thixotropic
Viscosity decreases with stress over time
Example:
Honey – keep stirring, and solid honey
becomes liquid
Rheopectic
Viscosity increases with stress over
time
Example:
Cream – the longer you whip it the
thicker it gets
Quicksand
Quicksand forms when water
saturates an area of loose sand and
the sand is agitated. When the water
trapped in the sand cannot escape, it
creates liquefied soil that cannot
support weight . [Wikipedia]
Quicksand
There are two ways in which sand
can become agitated enough to
create quicksand:
Earthquakes
Flowing underground water
You won’t drown
Objects in the liquefied sand sink
to the level at which the weight
of the object is equal to the
weight of the displaced
sand/water mix and the object
floats due to its buoyancy.
How to get out of quicksand
 Don’t panic
 Don’t thrash around
 Quicksand is twice a dense as water
therefore it is more easy to float in than
water
 Use slow movements
 Spread arms & legs & float
References
 Wikipedia
 How Stuff Works:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/ear
th/geology/quicksand1.htm
 Chhabra, R P, Non-Newtonian Fluids: An Introduction
http://www.physics.iitm.ac.in/~compflu/Lect-notes/chhabra.pdf
 Science Learning
http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/ScienceStories/Strange-Liquids/Non-Newtonian-fluids
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Contact information:
Sheryl Hoffmann
Phone: +61 8 8291 9325
Fax: +61 8 8272 1463
Email: shoffmann@conconcordia.sa.edu.au
Christchurch Earthquake Clip
Catalyst Thursday, 24 May 2012
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3510004.htm
Activity 3
1. Slime
2. Flubber
3. Super Ball