Fun slime recipe and a science experiment rolled (or squished) into one
Slime is already a fascinating substance. As a non-Newtonian fluid, its consistency is constantly changing - meaning it can be a liquid or a solid. But did you know that slime can also be magnetic? With just a few household ingredients like Elmer’s glue and baking soda, you can turn slime from a fun toy into a scientific wonder. Follow this recipe to make your own magnetic slime!
[Edit]Ingredients
- of Elmer’s glue
- of water
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon (78 grams) of iron oxide powder
- of contact lens solution (or other solution containing boric acid and sodium borate)
- neodymium magnet
[Edit]Steps
[Edit]Creating Your Magnetic Slime
- Work on a covered surface in a well-ventilated room. Making magnetic slime is a fun, but messy process. Make sure you’re crafting on a flat, covered table in a room with an open window or air vent to avoid inhaling the iron oxide powder or borax from your boric solution.
- Have gloves ready if you don’t want to get your hands dirty.
- Combine the water and glue in a mixing bowl. In your mixing bowl, add your ½ cup of water and ½ cup of glue. Stir until the solution is mixed well.[1]
- Optional: If you want your magnetic slime to have a certain color, add a drop of that specific food coloring to the mixture.
- Add the baking soda. Add your ½ teaspoon of baking soda to your diluted glue and mix the solution completely.[2]
- Add your contact solution a little at a time until the mixture peels. Slowly, add your contact lens solution a little at a time. Start with ½ tablespoon and stir. Continue until the mixture balls together and peels away from the bowl.[3]
- If you don’t have a contact lens solution, other solutions that contain the necessary compounds boric acid and sodium borate are laundry detergents, household cleaners, and liquid starch.
- If you are using a household cleaning solution instead, stand away while pouring to avoid ingesting any fumes.
- Knead your slime. Use your hands to squeeze, ball, and smooth out your slime several times. Pretty soon, you should have a putty-like slime![4]
- If the slime seems sticky at first, keep kneading. It should thicken as time progresses.
- Wear gloves for this part if you don’t want to get your hands dirty.
- Add your iron powder. Slowly add your tablespoon of iron oxide powder to the slime.[5]
- Stand away to avoid ingesting iron dust.
- Iron oxide powder (or iron fillings) can be purchased at a nearby craft store, Walmart, or online if you don’t feel like going out!
- Knead the iron powder into the slime. Once you’ve added your iron fillings, knead the slime until the powder is fully mixed in and it is all one color.[6]
- Around this time, the slime should start to smooth and dry. Use a paper towel if necessary to assist with this process.
- If one tablespoon is not enough iron oxide powder, feel free to add up to two.
[Edit]Playing With Your Magnetic Slime
- Observe the slime’s magnetism! By now, you should have fully functional magnetic slime. Place your neodymium magnet close to the putty and watch their attraction![7]
- Make sure you’re using neodymium magnets for this process. Neodymium magnets are a form of rare-Earth magnets with a super-strong magnetic pull and boron as a key element, making them extra reactive to the borax in the slime.[8]
- Avoid slamming magnets together so your fingers don’t get hurt.
- Keep your slime and magnet away from cell phones, credit cards and other devices with magnetic sensors that can be stripped away.
- Neodymium magnets can be found online or at your local hardware store.
- For fun, place your magnet on top of the slime and watch the slime swallow it whole!
- Create magnetic field lines in your slime. To fully observe its scientific value, flatten your slime into a small rectangle and cover it in plastic wrap. Place your magnet on top of the slime for two minutes, then show it to the light. Look at the marks![9]
- These field lines are a great example of your slime’s magnetic force.
- Clean your materials. When finished, clean your bowl, spatula and mixing materials to avoid the glue and baking soda sticking to them or, worse, the iron fillings causing damage.
- Be careful of rust! Because of its metallic properties, your slime has a short shelf life. In roughly 48 hours, it will turn into a brown goo. Don’t contaminate your containers by attempting to store it. Appreciate your day of fun and then dispose of it promptly.[10]
[Edit]Things You’ll Need
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Soap
- Paper towels
- Plastic wrap
- Food coloring (optional)
- Gloves (optional)
[Edit]References
- ↑ https://sciencedipity.co.uk/magnetic-slime/
- ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/magnetic-slime-recipe
- ↑ https://www.iheartartsncrafts.com/how-to-make-magnetic-slime-with-saline-solution/
- ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/magnetic-slime-recipe
- ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/magnetic-slime-recipe
- ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/magnetic-slime-recipe
- ↑ https://babbledabbledo.com/the-creepiest-slime-ever-how-to-make-magnetic-slime/
- ↑ https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-neodymium-magnet-and-regular-magnet/
- ↑ https://rosieresearch.com/magnetic-slime-recipe/
- ↑ https://babbledabbledo.com/the-creepiest-slime-ever-how-to-make-magnetic-slime/
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