We Zoobers were once approached by a group of private investors who were planning on building houses on Mars. Because Mars is very cold (temperatures are below freezing in the summer), the investors wanted us to make a liquid that could be shipped in vats by rocket to Mars, which they could then pour into flat molds and freeze to make windows for the houses. At first, I suggested that the investors use ordinary water to make the frozen windows, but everyone agreed that that was a boring solution. “We want you to make something fun,” said the investors. So I came up with Ridiculous Putty, a funny slime that astronauts can play with on their way to Mars, and then be frozen into windows once they reach the red planet. The plan to colonize Mars was never realized, but the recipe remains.
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SAFETY KID SAYS: “Polyvinyl alcohol is flammable and should be handled with care. Avoid getting it in your eyes and on your skin, and avoid inhaling it, too!” |
Ingredients
⅓ cup hot (but not skin-burning hot!) water
1½ teaspoons polyvinyl alcohol (see Sources, page 76)
3 teaspoons borax solution (page 16)
Tools
Measuring cups
Small plastic jar
Measuring spoons
Metal or plastic spoon (for stirring)
1 Put the hot (but not skin-burning hot!) water into the plastic jar. Add the polyvinyl alcohol to the water and stir it with a spoon until all the powder is dissolved. It might take several minutes.
2 Add the borax solution, 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring continually until the mixture thickens.
3 Play with it. Shape it into a ball and set it on the counter. How long does it take to turn into a puddle? Does it flatten faster if you punch it or if you press it slowly with the palm of your hand?
HOW IT WORKS: Just like in the Goon Goo and other polymer experiments, the borax solution cross-links the long molecules, making the solution thick and rubbery. Try mixing different amounts of borax solution and polyvinyl alcohol and water together to see how it affects the viscosity (a scientific term for how difficult it is to stir a liquid) of the Ridiculous Putty.
