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What do fireworks, rubber, and Silly Putty have in common?

What do fireworks, rubber, and Silly Putty have in common?

Lesson narration:
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DISCUSS:

What could you do with powders that cause different colored flames?

Powders image

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The Challenge

When you drop Mystery Science Goo, it splats. Suppose you wanted a goo that bounced when you dropped it.

That's our challenge for you. We want you to make a goo that bounces.

Start with the Mystery Science Goo recipe. Think about the properties of this goo make it splat. What do you need to change to make it bounce?

Discuss with your friends. Then check out our ideas.

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Bouncy Goo — Our Ideas

We decided Mystery Science Goo needed to be firmer to bounce. So we experimented with adding powdery stuff to the recipe to make firmer goo.

Here are our three new recipes:

  • 1 Tbsp talcum powder, 2 Tbsp of glue/water solution, & 1 Tbsp of borax solution
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 Tbsp of glue/water solution, & 1 Tbsp of borax solution
  • 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp of glue/water solution, & 1 Tbsp of borax solution

Try all three and compare the resulting goos. Which one bounces highest?

For more information on goo recipes, visit the Page that Dripped Slime on the Bizarre Stuff website.

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mix


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to combine two or more things
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mixture


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a combination of two or more things
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chemical reaction


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a process where one or more substances form a new substance
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substance


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a material that has specific properties
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property


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something you can observe about an object or material
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matter


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anything that takes up space; can be in different forms such as solid, liquid, or gas
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experiment


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a test used to discover new information about a question
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invent


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to create something new, often an object or a way of doing something
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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration
lumberyard by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: pinyo bonmark
bench by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Iablonskyi Mykola
plasticware by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Kameel4u
tires by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Bedrin
wrench by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Tischenko Irina
glass of water by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Roman Motizov
cinder blocks by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Jiang Zhongyan
trees by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Gerald Bernard
not allowed sign by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Dmitry Natashin
window by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: washington1775
nitrate salts by NurdRage
copper sulfate by Benjah-bmm27
lead nitrate by Ondřej Mangl
feric nitrate by Alecjw
copper flame test by Phillip Evans
purple fire by Anne Helmenstine
lithium flame test by wwwperiodictableru
different flame tests by sciyeung
Chinese rocket by NASA
gunpowder by Jiao Yu and Liu Ji
Rhazes, Persian Physicist and Alchemist by Wellcome Library
rain boots by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Nataliia K
soap by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Michael Kraus
stack of paper by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Nuttapong
truck wheel by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: pema
surgeon by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: ChaNaWiT
rubber extraction by gopismc
latex rubber balls by FlinnScientific
scientist mixing chemicals by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Creativa Images
Activity
play-doh by Chrissy Southern
silly putty by Rev. Jay Goldstein
flarp noise by LuckyPennyShop.com
chemists by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Everett Collection
scientist mixing liquid by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: wavebreakmedia
Lesson narration:

Activity Prep

Print Prep

This lesson develops the idea that chemical reactions create new materials that have useful and interesting properties. The Great Goo Experiment is a two-part activity. In Part 1, students experiment by combining different substances and watching for reactions. In Part 2, students mix glue and borax solution in clear plastic bags to observe the reaction, which creates "Mystery Goo."

Preview activity

Exploration

12 mins

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