Today in Year 7 STEM the mad scientists got a chance to make slime and learn about its chemistry. Slime is all about polymers! A polymer is made up of very large chains of molecules. The glue used in slime is made up of long chains of molecules. These chains slide past one another fairly easily which keeps the glue flowing. Slime activators change the position of these molecules in a process called cross linking! This is the reaction between the PVA glue and the borate ions in the slime activator. Instead of flowing freely, the molecules become tangled and create the slimy substance. We added sequins for a bit of extra Christmas sparkle!
