Electric Cornstarch Experiment

It’s alive! This cornstarch slime is a fun twist on the classic oobleck recipe. Borax free and non-toxic, combine hands-on sensory play with some fun science. Electric cornstarch is perfect as an experiment to demonstrate the power of attraction (between charged particles that is!) You just need 2 ingredients from your pantry and a couple of basic household ingredients to do this slime-y science experiment.

HOW TO MAKE ELECTRIC CORNSTARCH

JUMPING GOOP

Our Electric Cornstarch Experiment is a fun example of static electricity at work. We love simple physics experiments and have been exploring science for kindergarten, preschool, and early elementary for almost 8 years now. Make sure to check out our collection of simple science experiments for kids!

Our experiments are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind! Easy to set up, quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete and are heaps of fun! Plus, our supplies lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home.

Grab some cornstarch and oil, and let’s find out what happens when you mix them together with a charged balloon! Can you make your cornstarch slime jump towards the balloon? Make sure to read up on the science behind the experiment too!

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ELECTRIC SLIME EXPERIMENT

SUPPLIES

3 tablespoons cornstarch
vegetable oil
balloon
spoon

HOW TO MAKE SLIME WITH OIL

STEP 1. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to a plastic cup or bowl.

STEP 2. Slowly add vegetable oil to the cornstarch, stirring until the consistency is that of a pancake mix.

STEP 3. Blow the balloon up partially and tie it off. Rub against your hair to create static electricity.

STEP 4. Move the charged balloon towards a spoonful of the dripping cornstarch and oil mixture. Watch what happens!

The slime will pulls itself towards the balloon; it may even defy gravity and arch upward to meet the balloon.

Move the cornstarch towards a part of the balloon that is not charged. What happens now?

HOW DOES IT WORK

When you rub the balloon on a rough surface like your hair you give it additional electrons. These new electrons generate a negative static charge. On the other hand, the cornstarch and oil mixture, being a non-Newtonian fluid (neither a liquid or a solid) has a neutral charge.

When an object has a negative charge, it will repel the electrons of other objects and attract that object’s protons. When the neutrally charged object is light enough, like the dripping cornstarch in this case, the negatively charged object will attract the lightweight object. Dripping the cornstarch means it is easier for it to swing towards the balloon.