Slime making
Formation of this special liquid is easy. Clicl to see a 120kb movie.

Material:

6g of polyvinyl alcohol (relative molecular mass of 22,000);

20 cm 4% borax solution;

Food dye.

Preparation:

Heat 100cm of water in a beaker to 80C. Sprinkle the polyvinyl alcohol slowly in the hot water and stir. Avoid boiling the solution as the polymer is less soluble at high temperatures. Allow the solution to cool. Add the 20cm of borax solution to the polymer solution and stir. Add two drops of food dye to give the slime colour.

 

 

Consider the video of the slime.

What happens to the slime when it is pulled suddenly?
The polymers have a great deal of water in amongst the molecules. Over 90% of the slime gel is water. Many other polymers of the same size as polyvinyl alcohol form very hard plastics. What is the difference between slime and hard plastics in the way the molecules are held together. Explain.
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