Atomic Slime Atomic Slime is perfect for Halloween demonstrations and parties. email to friend
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Slime stretches in a most unusual way. If you try to stretch slime quickly, it will literally break in half. If you stretch the slime slowly, however, it will get longer and longer and longer. Why? Scientists consider slime to be a “Non-Newtonian Fluid” which means that it behaves like both a solid and a liquid at the same time. When you apply pressure, it turns into a solid (so to speak) and breaks apart. When you let slime flow like a liquid, it stretches with no problem.

Most liquids, such as water, are made up of small, unconnected molecules bouncing around and tumbling over and into one another. These single, unconnected molecules are called monomers. Monomer liquids flow easily and are seldom gooey or sticky to the touch. In other substances, the monomers are linked together in long chains of molecules known as polymers. These long chains don’t flow easily at all. Like a bowl of cooked spaghetti, they sort of roll over and around one another. Liquid polymers tend to be a lot gooier and flow more slowly t han liquid monomers.

PVA is used by the plastics industry to form surface coatings and to make surface films resistant to gasoline. It’s also used to make artificial sponges, hoses, and printing inks. If you check out the ingredients of contact lens wetting solutions, you may find PVA used as a lubricant and a cleanser.