Amaze your friends - impress your parents!  Check back from time-to-time as we continue to add to our list of secret formulas.

1. Cabbage Juice Acid-Base Indicator:  Chop up some red cabbage and boil it in water.  The resulting juice can be used to indicate whether a substance is an acid or base.  The cabbage juice will change colors in the presence of different substances.  Acids will turn the cabbage juice red and bases will turn the cabbage juice green.
2. GAK - This is a fun substance similar to Silly Putty.  It is a non-newtonian fluid  because it has properties of both solids and liquids.  The chemical reaction is quite thick and gooey.

Materials:

4 ounces of white glue

1 1/2 cup of water

plastic spoon

Zip-lock bag

1 teaspoon Borax

Disposable container

Food coloring

Plastic cup

Procedure:

• Pour the glue into a plastic cup.  Add the food coloring.
• Add 1/2 cup of water.  Stir
• Mix the Borax and the rest of the water in the disposable container.
• Carefully pour the glue mixture into the Borax mixture and mix.
• Stir.  Drain off extra liquid.
• Knead until it is pliable.
• Store in a plastic bag.  Gak dries out after a great deal of use.
• Borax is toxic!  DO NOT ingest!  Monitor its use at all times!

3.  Oobleck -  is a fictional form of green precipitation invented by chilldren’s author Dr. Seuss in the book Bartholemew and the Oobleck.  The word has since been used in science classes to teach children about solids and liquids.

Oobleck Recipes

2 cups of corn starch

3 drops of green food coloring

Enough water to make a thick mixture (about the texture of pancake batter). Measure equal amounts of water and cornstarch, but mix water in slowly.  Mix all ingredients together.

Some fun things to observe about Oobleck:

• Oobleck can take the shape of a container and when taken out does not keep its shape.
• Oobleck is a solid and liquid at the same time.
• If you make a ball and throw it up in the air it loses shape and becomes flat in the air.
• If you fill a balloon with Oobleck, the air presses or forces the Oobleck back out.
• Oobleck does NOT bounce.