For St. Patrick's Day: Leprechaun snot

If you find something that's slippery, sticky and green at your house, it could be a sign that the children are doing some cool science -- or maybe your leprechaun is sick.

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup of glue

* 1/4 cup of borax

* Warm water

* Green food coloring

Instructions

STEP 1: Dissolve eight tablespoons of borax into one quart of warm water and add a few drops of green food coloring.

STEP 2: Place 1/4 cup of glue into the bowl and slowly add the 1/4 cup of borax solution.

STEP 3: Stir the mixture until a soft ball forms and then, using your hands, work the ball until it is smooth and elastic.

Explanation

Leprechaun snot is a polymer, which is a long chain of molecules. The borax linked the glue's molecules together, creating the batch of leprechaun snot.

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.