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Make Gak®
CHEMISTRY OF TOYS—POLYMERS continued on next page.
Chemistry of Toys—Polymers, continued
Super-Duper Polymer Gel—
Chemical Demonstration Kit
By: Walter Rohr, Retired Chemistry Teacher
When a small amount of a white powder is sprinkled into a liquid
and water is added, it transforms into a thick, viscous gel. When
poured back and forth between two beakers, the gel begins to
take on a life of its own and literally defies gravity by crawling
up and out of the beaker. Teacher Demonstration Notes included.
Ethanol or methanol (25 mL per demo) and water are required,
but not provided.
Catalog No. Description Price/Each
AP4556 Super-Duper Polymer Gel—Chemical Demonstration Kit $15.48
Silly Putty®
Everyone knows what Silly Putty® looks like and what it can do. But
do you know what gives Silly Putty its unique characteristics? We
will discuss Silly Putty’s unique properties and even provide you
with the complete recipe to make your own.
Catalog No. Description Price/Each
AP1962 Silly Putty® $4.78
Polymer Bead—
Demonstration Kit
By: The Flinn Staff
A gravity-defying demonstration that will stop students in their
tracks! A beaker is filled with a 50-foot-long string of beads. With
just a slight pull on one end of the chain, the beads will suddenly lift
themselves out of and come tumbling over the side of the upright
beaker. Demonstration Notes included.
Catalog No. Description Price/Each
AP6647 Polymer Bead—Demonstration Kit $22.57
Slime, Preparation Chemicals
One of the most entertaining and educational polymer experiments
around is the making of “Slime.” Everyone loves to make
slime! Below are the necessary ingredients to make two types
of slime, guar gum or polyvinyl alcohol slime. Both types of
slime use sodium borate as the second ingredient.
Guar gum slime is the easiest and fastest to prepare and
is an excellent choice for elementary and junior high school
teachers. However, the consistency of this slime is not quite as
good as the polyvinyl alcohol slime and may be clumpy if the
guar gum powder is added too quickly to the water. Polyvinyl
alcohol slime requires a bit more preparation time and may
be touchy to make, especially if you are starting with the powders rather than the
4% solutions. However, it makes fantastic “slimey” slime. Teachers with a magnetic
stirrer/hot plate may want to make polyvinyl alcohol slime. With either option you’ll
enjoy making slime with your students!
Catalog No. Description Size Price/Each
G0040 Guar Gum, Powder 500 g $ 29.56
P0154 Polyvinyl Alcohol, Powder 500 g 30.75
P0209 Polyvinyl Alcohol Solution, 4% 500 mL 10.69
P0210 1 liter 19.14
P0211 4 liters 55.64
S0363 Sodium Borate Solution, 4% 500 mL 6.64
S0364 1 liter 12.79
Polyurethane Foam System—
Chemical Demonstration Kit
By: The Flinn Staff
Try this amazing demonstration! Simply mix two viscous
liquids together and watch as the mixture expands to
about 30 times its original volume. The result is a hardened,
lightweight polyurethane foam. Teacher Demonstra tion
Notes included.
See free video at flinnsci.com.
Catalog No. Description Size Price/Each
C0335 Polyurethane Foam System—
Chemical Demonstration Kit
500 mL $ 36.00
C0442 4 L 275.00
V0003 Food Coloring Dyes, Set 6.61
Gak®, a product of the Mattel Toy Corporation, is an elastic non-Newtonian fluid
made from a polymeric material. Gak can be stretched, squeezed, twisted and
squished.
Experimental Procedure: Measure 1 level teaspoon (5 mL) of talcum powder
and place it in a 5 oz paper cup. Add 25 mL (5 teaspoons) Elmer’s glue and 20 mL
(4 teaspoons) water. Stir well to mix all ingredients. Add up to 5 drops of food color
to the materials in the paper cup and stir well. Add 5 mL (1 teaspoon) of borax solution
(use 1 level tablespoon borax for each one cup water) and stir well. Remove
the Gak from the cup. Pull the solid off the stirrer. The Gak may be sticky at first, but
will become less sticky after handling. Dispose of the paper cup and any remaining
liquid in the trash.
The Gak should stretch and flow easily, but it will tear if pulled hard. The Gak will
dry out and become less stretchy after handling. It can be re-hydrated by mixing
with a small amount of water before storage. Store the Gak in a plastic bag.
Safety Precautions: Borax, sodium borate, is moderately toxic in quantities of
more than one gram per 1000 g of body weight. Wash any borax from the hands
with water. Wash hands after handling the Gak. Do not allow Gak to remain on
clothing, upholstery or wood surfaces. The Gak will stain or mar the surface. Clean
up any spilled Gak immediately. Special thanks to David Katz who provided us
with this activity.
Slime for Everyone!
Student Laboratory Kit
By: The Flinn Staff
Slime, slime, and more slime—it stretches, it flows, it even
picks up ink! Includes background information, easy-tofollow
procedure, observation/analysis activities, polyvinyl
alcohol solution, sodium borate solution, plastic cups, and
wood sticks. Full-size kits complete for 30 students. Smallsize
kits complete for 10 students. Refill kits contain materials only.
Catalog No. Description Type Price/Each
AP5393 Slime for Everyone!
Student Laboratory Kit
Full-Size Kit $36.71
AP10114 Full-Size, Refill Kit 27.90
AP10192 Small-Size Kit 17.74
AP10270 Small-Size, Refill Kit 9.42
V0003 Vegetable Dyes, Set of 4 6.61
Make Slime
To make one batch of slime, mix 100 mL of 4% polyvinyl alcohol solution with
10 mL of 4% sodium borate solution. Stir.
OR
Add 0.5 grams of guar gum slowly and with constant stirring to 100 mL of
distilled water. Add 5 mL of 4% sodium borate solution. Stir.
Mystic Sand
Mystic sand can form fun underwater towers, columns and
designs and then, when removed from the water, is found to be
completely dry. Instruction with use activities provided.
See free video at flinnsci.com.
Catalog No. Description Price/Each
AP4304 Mystic Sand, 200 g $13.01
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