Lab Response

In science class we conducted an experiment to explore and get a better visual of the Earth's mantel and the plasticity. Who knew cornstarch could be so much fun? For this lab we needed water and a beaker of cornstarch and a beaker of water. For this experiment u mix just enough water into the cornstarch so that it can be mixed but is not liquid, followed by blue food coloring. After adding water to the substance we began to mix it. The substance was hard to mix and seemed very powdery and hard at spots. The mixture in the beaker felt like hard rubber, but very smooth. When you remove a pile from the mix into your hands it is very gooy and hard to handle. I began rolling the mixture into a ball but it seemed to be impossible. When I rolled it in my hands it would partially turn into a ball but then fall apart into powder. When I let the goo sit in my hands it turned to liquid. How is this possible? Again and again I tried to roll the mix into a ball, but it never worked; and when I let it sit in my hand to fix it, i found my self trying to keep the liquidity goo in my hand and off the floor. When I slowly pushed by finger through the mix in the beaker it began to sink, in contrast, when I pushed my finger in fast it seem to have a sort of bounce effect on it. This is because when heat is applied to it, it stays together it is dry and powdery; on the other hand, when the u let the goo sit in your hands for even a mere second, the cool air turns it into a liquidity substance. The goo acts like the Earth's mantel, because like the goo with the heat and pressure the mantel keeps the outer sphere of it and the inside is the liquidity goo. For an extra look at this mantel like visual try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GWhOLorDtw Over all this lab taught me a lot and was very fun and very messy.