Silly Putty® Investigation

Silly Putty® Investigation

A selection of activities for an investigation of Silly Putty®.  

Introduction

Students experiment with Silly Putty®. This is a silicone based polymer that is highly elastic, but snaps when pulled quickly. It slowly takes the shape of its container, yet resists sudden forces like the blow of a hammer and bounces very well. It is non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin.

Silly Putty® was invented by James Wright, a researcher at General Electric who was working on synthetic rubber substitutes in World War II. Mixing silicone oil with boric acid made the first Silly Putty® substance and although it didn't work as a synthetic rubber, it did make a great toy!

There are other uses of Silly Putty®. At home, it can be used to pick up dirt and lint. Silly Putty® in various strengths is used to help people build up hand muscles after injuries. Because Silly Putty® adheres well, it was also used by Apollo astronauts to hold tools in zero-gravity!

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Investigate the properties of a common polymer.

Entire Activity

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Other Resources

Full Lesson & other activities - Goo
Science World School Programs: Chemistry
Make a Virtual Polymer: http://pslc.ws/macrog/kidsmac/makepoly.htm