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Slime is by far the favorite demonstration at Impression 5! In this hands-on demonstration curious participants enter the ChemLab and prepare to make slime by putting on a lab coat and saddling up to the slime making station. Participants learn some basic chemistry by exploring and asking questions as they make slime with the instruction of a certified Slime Expert!

Our Chemistry Lab

The recipe for Slime is fairly simple, but it does involve one ingredient which is not commercially available. We first prepare 1/4 cup of liquid polyvinylalcohol (or PVOH) in a sealable bag. This PVOH is the hard to get ingredient. PVOH is a polymer, which means it is made of strands of molecules. Next we add a dash of diluted food coloring, simply to give our slime an interesting color. Next we add a tablespoon (or so) of a saturated water/Borax solution. This means that we mixed Borax (a common soap or laundry detergent) into a container of water until no more would dissolve, i.e. it is saturated. The Borax and the PVOH react when they are mixed together. In the chemical reaction the Borax links the polymer strands of PVOH together, trapping the water between them and creating a new chemical: Slime! The participant does need to mix these ingredients together by rubbing the bag vigorously to make sure all the chemicals have reacted. When there are no more runny liquids in the bag and it starts to clump together, your Slime is ready to play with!

Tips for caring for your Slime:

Play with your Slime only on a smooth, clean surface. We recommend on a kitchen counter or table.
DO NOT play with Slime on carpet or furniture. It will come off with soap and hot water, but you shouldn't tempt fate, or your parents' tempers!
Slime is non-toxic, but please don't eat it!
When not in use, keep Slime sealed in its airtight bag and in the refrigerator. This will keep it fresh and slimy for quite a while.
Of course, always wash your hands after playing with Slime.

Slime is a fee based demonstration that does cost $2.00 per batch of slime. Slime demonstrations take place every hour on the hour on Saturdays and generally on request during the week. School groups can reserve their own private Slime demonstration by contacting our reservations department at (517)485-8116 ext 32. For more info about Slime please contact Steve at desch@impression5.org.