Sodium Silicate Polymer Lab

I thought that when the two chemicals were combined it would make a solid. Once we combined the two it became a solid once it was stirred. Sodium silicate and ethyl alcohol were mixed and then stirred they became a snow-like substance. It was a crumbly white solid that seemed very much like snow. It was only about the size of a nickel. It would crumble if tried to roll in a ball, but once you rinsed it under water and then tried to form it into a ball it was much easier and it stuck together in a ball. Just like for the borax polymer we did a rebound test from 30 cm. When the ball was bounced it bounced either a little more or a little less than 15 cm. Once we dropped it about 5 or 6 times we put it into a refrigerator for about 12 minutes. Once we took it out it was much colder than it was before. We did the same rebound test from the same height. It bounced about 10 cm. So it was an obvious change in height, which can prove that temperature change can affect the rebound test for polymers that have been tested with a rebound test from the same height. It was strange to see how two liquids can form a solid when mixed together. It makes me wonder what other chemicals can be combined to make a type of solid. I think that if we increased the amount of the two liquids, that it would make a larger, thicker ball to work with. If we could try that I think that the ball would bounce higher if dropped from 30 cm. If you were to use say double or triple the amount of liquid what would the differences be between the regular amount and the increased amount.

Our ball was differed in size from other people in the class. Some were much bigger and some were much smaller. There were some that were more crumbly than others. I think that would all have to do with the amounts of silicate and ethyl alcohol and the care that was put in to it. Some people could of had more success in combining the ball when stirring so more pieces stuck to it instead of there being lots of little chunks in the beaker. If it was stirred fast or slow may be a variable in that part of the lab.