Floam

Concept: Polymers
Polymers are molecules made up of repeating chemical units that are strung together to form long chains. When cross-links are formed in a polymer, its chains of molecules are connected in several places, producing a stronger and more elastic polymer. Polymers are stretchable, pliable, and flexible.

Read Aloud: Crazy Concoctions by Jordan D. Brown

Ingredients:

      ·         1⅓ cups Polystyrene Beads
      ·         ¼ cup Elmer's Glue
      ·         ¾ cup Water

      ·         2 tsp. Borax
      ·         Food Coloring

      ·         Ziploc Baggies

 Demonstration:

      ·         Pour ½ cup of warm water into a plastic cup. Add 2 teaspoons of borax to the cup. Stir until the borax has dissolved.

      ·         Pour ¼ cup of Elmer's glue and ¼ cup of water into a Ziploc baggie. Add 3-5 drops of food coloring.

      ·         Squish the baggie to mix the glue and water together.

      ·         Pour 1⅓ cups of polystyrene beads into the baggie.

      ·         Pour the borax and water mixture into the baggie.

      ·         Continue to squish and mix until the floam is formed.

Experiment:

·         How does varying the amount of each ingredient change the consistency of the floam?

·         What happens to the floam if it is not stored in a Ziploc baggie?

Observations:
The glue is a liquid polymer. This means that the tiny molecules in the glue are in strands like a chain. When the borax is added, it acts as a cross-linker that connects all the polymer strands together more tightly.