Next week we are launching our Star Wars themed sessions! To celebrate we thought we would try a fun Star Wars themed STEM activity that you can play with!
What you’ll need:
- 2 cups of white vinegar
- Measuring cup
- 1 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum
- Green food colouring
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Medium-large sized glass bowl with a flat bottom
- Enough baking soda to cover the bottom of the bowl
The Experiment:
Step 1
Measure 2 cups of white vinegar and pour it into your mixing bowl.
Step 2
Once you have added all of the xanthan gum, add in a few drops of green food colouring.
Step 3
Once you have added all of the xanthan gum, add in a few drops of green food colouring.
Step 4
By this step, there should be small white clumps of the xanthan gum. Put the bowl in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours. The clumps will hydrate over this time.
Step 5
When you take the mixture out of the fridge, whisk it again until it’s smooth. It should turn cloudy but be very gooey. Hint: If it’s too thick to pour add a little extra vinegar to thin it out!
Step 6
Put baking soda in the bottom of your glass bowl. The bottom should be completely covered.
Step 7
Pour the slime in on top of the baking soda and watch to see what happens!
The STEM Behind the Fun!
Xanthan gum is commonly used as a thickening agent, hence why when mixed with vinegar the solution became gooey. This experiment also adds a twist to the classic “vinegar and baking soda” reaction. The bubbles form due to the chemical reaction between the baking soda and vinegar. There are two types of solutions, bases, and acids. Baking soda is an acid and vinegar is an acid. When they are mixed together they produce carbon dioxide, which forms the bubbles! It’s the gas being released!
