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Experiment 10 Silly Putty and SlimeBackground |
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CHEMISTRY HOME
| Polymers are macromolecules made up of many repeating smaller units called monomers. Polymers that can retain their original shape after being deformed are called elastomers. The difference between an elastomer like silly putty© and a rigid plastic like those found in Tupperware® is the type and amount of “cross-linking” that exists between the polymer chains. In silly putty© the cross-linking is through very weak intermolecular bonds that allow rotation and flexibility of the polymer. In the harder set plastics the intermolecular bonds are permanent and relatively heat resistant. In today’s experiment we will be making a form of silly putty and slime using Elmer’s glue® as the polymer and borax® to form the cross-links. Elmer’s glue® is a form of liquid latex. It contains long hydrocarbon globules suspended in water. Borax® is a trade name for the chemical sodium tetraborate. |
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