A gooey polymer that's fun to play with!
How it works
Slime is made by mixing white glue (containing polyvinyl alcohol), food colouring, water, and Borax. These chemicals mix together to create a polymer (a long chain of molecules). Molecules in our slime polymer are arranged so that they can stretch, break apart, and go back together.
Try this at home
- How far can you stretch your slime? Using a straw, how large of a bubble can you blow in it?
- Create a non-Newtonian fluid by mixing corn starch with water!
- Do you love chemistry and polymers? Research diferent slime recipes online!
Definitions/glossary
- Polymer: a long chain of repeating molecules.
- Chemical Engineers: use their knowledge of chemistry to design substances and reactions to improve our everyday life.
- Chemistry: a branch of science that examines properties and interactions of matter.
What's going on at the University
Before graduating from the University of Waterloo, all engineering students complete a capstone project. For example, one group of students created Greyscale Coatings which allows your roof to be black when it's cold and white when it's warm out. This helps save on energy costs and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
How to become a chemical engineer
The first step to becoming a chemical engineering student is to graduate from high school with the required math, physics, chemistry, and english courses. After high school, you will attend a post-secondary program. Chemical engineering students at Waterloo are at the forefront of technology and their role in modern society is becoming increasingly important. They design, implement and supervise industrial processes where matter undergoes change. This could be in the pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, food or plastics industries for example - anywhere a transformation of matter occurs.
The co-operative study program will provide you with up to 24 months of practical experience complements and reinforces in-class learning. This will prepare you for a career as a mechanical engineer.