Dancing Oobleck Experiment - Courtesy of Pinterest, Oobleck by Mary Catherine Lyons
November 2018
Make oobleck and watch it dance whilst learning about non-newtonian fluids in this fun science experiment.
You Will Need
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of corn starch
- A few drops of food colouring
- 1 bowl
- A subwoofer or speaker
- Cling film or plastic covering
- Your phone, computer, or laptop
- A tone generator - available online such as http://onlinetonegenerator.com/
The Experiment
- Make the oobleck by mixing 1 cup of water with 2 cups of corn starch in a bowl and add a few drops of food colouring.
- Feel how the oobleck acts like a liquid when poured and solid when force is applied.
- Prepare the subwoofer by turning it on its side and cover it with cling film to protect it before filling the speaker cone with oobleck.
- Connect your phone or laptop to the subwoofer and make the oobleck dance by playing a tone using the tone generator. Experiment with different tones and volumes and you’ll notice that the oobleck jumps and moves best to lower frequencies and when the volume is turned up.
The Science
Oobleck is a non-newtonian fluid that has a variable rate of viscosity. This means that it acts like a liquid when no force is applied but is solid when a force is acting on it.
The oobleck acts as a liquid when the speaker is off, but when the speaker plays at high volume and low frequency, the oobleck moves and dances, taking the form of a solid.
When the speaker is off, there is no force or pressure acting on the oobleck so it reacts as a liquid. The oobleck responds to the low frequency sound waves as they exert a greater force and pressure onto the oobleck, causing it to move and dance as a solid.
Want More Epic Experiments?
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