Make Your Own Play Dough

What is a chemical reaction? This science experiment will teach you about the wonderful world of chemistry by making your own play-dough.

A chemical reaction occurs when two or more substances are combined to form a new substance and cannot be separated back into their original substances. We can observe a chemical reaction is occurring because the substances change color, give off a smell, change physical state (liquid to gas or liquid to solids), create or take away the heat, or emit light.

Examples of chemical reactions are baking a cake or breaking a glow stick. When baking a cake a new product is created because of the combination of different ingredients plus heat. When one brakes a glow stick, the chemicals inside combine to create light.

This activity will help you create your very own chemical reaction - play-dough. Have fun, STEM Warriors!

WHAT YOU NEEED

1. 1 Big Mixing Bowl

2. 2 Cups of Flour

3. 1/2 Cup of Salt

3. 2 Tbsps Cream of Tartar

4. 2 Tbsps of Oil

5. Food Color

6. 1 1/2 Cups of Hot Water

7. Plastic Gloves

WHAT YOU DO

1. Pour 2 cups of flour into the mixing bowl.

2. Add 1/2 cup of salt, 2 tbsps of cream of tartar, and 2 tbsps of oil.

3. Pour 1 1/2 cups of hot boiling water into the mixture.

4. Mix everything together until it is nice and smooth.

5. Separate the dough into smaller pieces and create a bowl shape at the center of each dough.

6. Wear plastic gloves and add food 3-4 drops of food color into the center of the dough and mix it together until the color is visible. You can add more color for a darker shade.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Salt and flour combined together produce a 'mixture' – they are physically combined but no reaction has taken place. When the water and food coloring mix completely they form a solution. When all the ingredients are heaped together and kneaded, a new substance is formed because chemical reactions have taken place.

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Learn more about crystals here:

• The Chemistry of Cookies

• Why Don't Oil and Water Mix