Video:How to Make Floam
with Ben RoyFloam is a fun, maleable material you can play with, and make yourself. Get a demonstration on how to make this squishy substance in this chemistry video from About.com.See Transcript
Transcript:How to Make Floam
Hi, my name is Ben Roy with gosciencezone.com for About.com. Today, we're going to show you how to make your own floam.
Materials to Make Floam
You will need:
- borax
- white glue
- food coloring
- Styrofoam or polystyrene beads
- reusable plastic bag
- water
How to Make Floam
First, you want to dilute the borax in water. The amount may change depending on how much floam you want, but you can go by 1/2 cup of water for every 2 teaspoons of borax.
Next, in a separate container, you want to dilute your glue, with equal parts of glue and water. It's safe to go by 1/4 a cup for every 2 teaspoons of borax. Here, add in your food coloring. Transfer the glue solution to a plastic bag, and add your beads or Styrofoam. Next add in your borax solution. The amount you add will determine the stiffness of the floam.
Upon mixing borax and glue, a flexible polymer is formed because of the borax reacting to the polyvinyl acetate molecules in the glue.
This is a fun concoction you can mold into whatever shape you want.
Thanks for watching! To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com!