b
Oo l
e
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/
c
k
What is Oobleck?
Can you use THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND your senses to solve
the mystery of Oobleck?
Problem
Three liquids are mixed together in a plastic bag. Using your senses (except for
taste) can you determine if the substance that is formed is a solid, liquid or gas?
Research
List three properities of solids, liquids and gases.
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Hypothesis
I think the substance will be a
.
(solid, liquid or gas)
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/
Procedure
1. To do this experiment, your team will need:
• A plastic bag
• A clear liquid
• A green liquid
• A white liquid
• All of your senses, except for taste
2. Open the plastic bag.
3. Carefully measure two teaspoons of the clear liquid into the plastic bag.
4. Next, add two drops of the green liquid.
5. Carefully add two tablespoons of the white liquid.
6. Close the bag and knead the mixture well for 2 minutes.
7. Once 2 minutes have passed, take the Oobleck out of the bag and experiment with it.
8. Record your observations about the properties of Oobleck on the Oobleck Investigation Sheet.
9. Decide if each observation is a property of a solid, liquid or gas. Circle one or more of the State
of Matter letters on the right hand side of the Oobleck Investigation Sheet to show what
you decided.
10. Answer the blob’s question.
What state of matter
is Oobleck???
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/
Data Collection and Analysis
Oobleck Investigation Sheet
PROPERTY
example:
State of Matter
S L G
green
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
S L G
Conclusion
Oobleck appears to be a
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/
5 ml = 5
millilite
easpoon
rs = 1 T
f
o
e
s
o
Disp
Get p
on
15 ml =
15 m
lespo
= 1 Tab
illiliters
250
!
y
l
r
e
p
o
r
p
s
l
materia
o
t
n
o
i
s
ermis
!!
t
s
r
i
f
s
do thi
ions
instruct
e
l
p
m
i
ese s
dren
ollow th om small chil
O
f
,
r
o
o
d
f
u
ay fr
If yo
Recipe
rhood?
ep it aw
o
e
b
K
h
.
g
d
i
n
e
rou
he n
dult is a re carefully.
der of t
a
n
o
n
a
w
t
e
a
h
h
u measu
t to be t k, make sure t
o
n
y
a
t
a
W
h
t
?
s
tant
end
blec
your fri you create Oo t is very impor
e
z
a
m
a
i
Want to obleck!! When eat it!! Also,
O
or
to make nd don't taste
ns
a
,
o
s
i
t
c
e
and pet
r
Di
king
owl, ma
b
e
n
o
er in
the wat completely.
d
n
a
x
a
Bor
lves
ls
d bowl.
Mix the he Borax disso
a
n
i
o
.
r
c
1
e
s
e
e
t
tt
of
in th
Ma
g.
sure tha
250 ml
e water
n
h
i
t
d
d
e
astic ba
n
l
v
a
l
p
o
e
e
s
u
s
l
h
i
t
g
d
the
rax
on in
2. Mix
5 ml Bo
x soluti
1
a
.
[
r
o
n
B
o
i
f
t
lo
olu
coloring
s
m
d
x
0
o
h
a
t
1
o
r
i
f
t
o
w
f
u
• B
ixed
3. P
ops o
ater]
f glue m
r two dr
o
o
l
e
n
m
warm w
o
ture.
0
inutes.
lue mix
4. Add
xture [3
m
g
i
2
e
m
h
r
t
e
o
u
f
f
l
hly
er ’s g
30 ml o
thoroug
x
• Elm water]
i
the
. Add
m
5
d
n
ga
friends,
a
l)
t
l
b
u
a
e
o
m
30 ml
h
s
t
s
s
(
se
ag
o gro
ag!
6. Clo
plastic b
g used t n the plastic b
k
n
c
i
o
e
l
b
r
t
e
o
p
ept i
en n
• Zip
7. Wh ck should be k
Ooble
wls
up
c
• 2 bo
d
n
a
s
poon
suring s
a
e
M
•
ng
d colori
o
o
f
cup
n
e
ters ≈ 1
• Gre
0 millili
ml = 25
K
OBLEC
Oobleck
Teacher Overview and Materials List
Background:
The term “Oobleck” is derived from the book Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss. Experimenting with Oobleck
is much more than having fun with a weird substance. As students participate in this activity, they will develop important
skills in scientific observation. Scientists at Jefferson Lab use a similar process to investigate quarks in the nucleus of the
atom.
Minimum Materials Needed for Each Student Group:
A Ziploc sandwich bag
A tablespoon
A teaspoon
30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) of a glue-water solution
10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) of a borax-water solution
2 drops of food coloring
Optional Materials:
Newspapers to cover the desks
Small bowls to hold the two solutions
Containers to save extra solution
Pre-Activity Preparations:
The Glue-Water Solution
1. Empty a bottle of Elmer's School Glue into a small container.
2. Add an equal volume of water.
3. Mix thoroughly.
The Borax-Water Solution
1. Place 1 liter of water in a small container.
2. Add 60 milliliters of dry Borax powder to the water.
3. Mix thoroughly.
Notes:
• It is not uncommon for some of the Borax to remain undissolved.
• Elmer's Glue-All works just as well as Elmer's School Glue. In addition, we have been able to buy Elmer's GlueAll in gallon containers from home improvement centers.
• If kept in sealed containers, the two mixtures can be stored for several months as long as they are mixed well
before use.
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/
Materials for Oobleck
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education
http://education.jlab.org/