Affordable Science: Homemade quicksand

Are you looking for an affordable science experiment to do with the children? Here's one that's not only affordable, but that will teach you how to make a batch of homemade quicksand by using a few ingredients from the kitchen.

Ingredients

• Cornstarch
• Water
• Spoon
• Bowl

Instructions

STEP 1: Using the spoon, mix 1/4 cup of cornstarch and 1 cup of water in the bowl.

STEP 2: Place your hand in the mixture and add pressure by pushing down toward the bottom of the bowl.

Explanation

Your homemade quicksand is considered a non-Newtonian fluid, which means it can exhibit properties of both a solid and a liquid. This is due to the nature of cornstarch, which is a natural polymer.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website "Hooked On Science" at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@hookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.