Glue is also a type of polymer. Common slime “activators” such as borax, liquid starch, and saline solution contain sodium tetraborate. When mixed with glue, borate ions crosslink with the glue’s protein molecules, making them larger molecules that can no longer easily slide past each other. A polymer is a substance made up of a long chain of molecules that repeat. These chains are able to slide past each other. You bet! Slime is what we call a polymer. Once slime ingredients are combined you won’t be able to separate it back into glue and activator again. Slime is at a most basic level a chemical reaction where two substances combine and their molecules are rearranged in the process.Īt a molecular level, when you make slime the glue’s protein molecules crosslink with the borate ions (electrically charged molecules) in the activator, forming a new substance we all call “slime.” In a chemical reaction the substances cannot be separated again once they are mixed. Let’s talk about some of the scientific concepts on display when you make slime: Slime ChemistryĬhemistry is the branch of science that studies matter and how different substances (especially molecules and their atoms) interact, combine, and change to form new substances. Many parents have rolled their eyes (including me) when trying to clean up yet another trail of slime that leads to the bathroom sink, but here’s why you should be thrilled your kids love slime: There is a ton of science in slime making!
A lot of folks are quick to dismiss slime as a messy and trendy activity that kids are obsessed with.
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