Tag: spooky science

Performing a (Mock) Dissection:

Have you ever performed a dissection? We learned that dissections were (and are) a tool that scientists use to learn more about the biology and anatomy of plants, animals, and even people. We performed a ‘mock’ dissection using Twinkies! Our students needed to practice their precision, observation, and patience when taking samples, making incisions, and removing ‘organs’ (filling) from their ‘test subjects’.

Non-Newtonian Fluid: Examining Solids and Liquids

As part of our ‘Spooky Science’, our class investigated a mysterious substance. Not quite liquid, not quite solid, but a little of both… this is a non-Newtonian fluid! You can make this substance at home by mixing a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch to water. Once mixed well, this substance can behave like a solid and like a liquid!

We tested this substance in a variety of ways, including: slapping/poking the surface, sinking a spoon into it, rolling it into a ball, and trying to pour it into another container. We learned that when we kept the substance still (ex: holding it in our hands without moving), it often would pour or drip like a liquid. But if the substance was being moved (ex: rolling it between our hands), it would take on a more solid appearance.

Check out the video below to see how this substance behaves when placed on top of a speaker cone:

Some questions to discuss at home:

  1. Could we use ingredients other than cornstarch and water to create other non-Newtonian substances? Why or why not?
  2. What if the ratio (2:1 cornstarch to water) was different?
  3. Are there other substances that are not really a solid or a liquid, but a bit of both?
  4. What variables or human error might have impacted our tests?