Internet Version [Naruhodo no Mori] Vol. 1

by Yumiko Mori

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Greeting

   I am neither a scientist nor a school teacher. I am just a mother of three children. My children like making crafts, models, and other things. I believe many other children are just like mine. Most books on science experiments are intended for teachers. I guess there are not many parents who want to attempt science experiments at home. Today many parents are so busy, that they can not be directly involved in the education of their children. I have thought about how I can spend exciting time with my children. This series is a collection of science experiments you can try at your home.

Toshi: Come here, Tae! I am going to do something interesting.
Tae: What is it?
Toshi: "Do you want to make slime today?"

Toshi is a 5th grade boy and Tae is a 3rd grade girl.
A few days ago he read about how to make slime somewhere in the internet.
He decided to try this experiment. Soon he went to a library and borrowed a book.
Toshi: "The book says we can make slime by mixing three kinds of liquid together. I think I can do it by ourselves."
Tae: "I'm afraid Mom may not be pleased to see us making slimy things."
Toshi: "I've already got OK from Mom. Don't worry!"
Tae: "Really? If so, I want to make slime right now!
Toshi: "Tae, which color do you like?"
Tae: "I can see red, yellow, and green. I prefer red color."
Toshi: "I'll take green color."

You mix laundry starch with your favorite colored water.
By increasing or decreasing the amount of the starch, you can adjust how softer or harder your slime will be.
Then you add borax (sodium borate), which dissolved in water, into the starch mixture by little by little. As you mix the starch with a chopsticks or a spoon, your slime will be done.

Tae: "It's amazing! You really made a slime!"
Toshi: "Tae, shall we mix different colors this time?"
Tae: "Can we do that?"
Toshi: "We can try. I'm going to mix red and yellow to make orange color."
    (later)
Tae: "Your new slime is so beautiful! I want to make my beautiful one."

How to make slime

Materials

• borax (sodium borate) : 20-30 gram

• Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based laundry starch: 400 gram

• Food coloring: a very small amount

• Paper cups: several

• Disposal chop sticks: several

• A glass cup

Method

1. Pour 100 ml of water in a glass cup. Put a teaspoonful of borax into the water and stir well. If the borax is totally dissolved, put a little more of borax into the water and stir again.

2. Pour water into a paper cup up to about 1 centimeter high from the bottom. Put a pinch of food color into the water.

3. Put laundry starch into the color water. The amount should be equal to the volume of the color water. Mix them together.

4. Drop the solution made at #1 little by little into the starch-color water mixture.
   Stir well as you drop in. In total you should add about one fourth (1/4) of the volume you made at step #1.
   Make the other three slimes in the same way.

Extended Experiments

* You may decrease or increase the ratio of starch to water.

* You may modify color water. (For example, diluting or mixing with the other color.)

* You may mix two slimes together.

* You may dip a slime into water or freeze a slime in refrigerator.

Caution

* Slimes you can made by this procedure look very similar to jelly. So please take caution for small children to swallow slimes accidentally.

* Since borax is very toxic, please take care into a mouth absolutely to be unable to enter.

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