Easy⏱ time20 min$ cost5
Polymer Slime
Glue and a borax cross-linker turn liquid into stretchy slime — polymers you can hold.
Start building ↓
Result first
The build
Step 01
Mix the glue
Stir glue with a little water and colouring.
Step 02
Make activator
Dissolve borax in water (or use lens solution).
Step 03
Combine
Add activator slowly while stirring.
Step 04
Knead
It thickens into stretchy slime as you work it.
Working Principle
The borax links long glue polymer chains together at points, turning a runny liquid into a flexible, semi-solid network.
The science behind it
A closer look
Slime is a non-Newtonian polymer: cross-linking traps the chains so it flows slowly but resists sudden force.
Take it further
Variables to test
- 1 Add more activator — stiffer or runnier?
- 2 Pull slowly vs fast — why does it behave differently?
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