How does the silly putty made up of glue gel differ from the silly putty made of soap in terms of texture ? How would the touch be different and why? Chemical structure? .....?
Science:Chemistry - bobpursley, Friday, February 21, 2014 at 9:53pm
Have you made the two masses?
Science:Chemistry - Anonymous, Friday, February 21, 2014 at 9:58pm
Yes,but scientically I don't know how to explain this.
The difference in texture between silly putty made up of glue gel and silly putty made of soap can be attributed to their chemical composition and structure.
Silly putty made from glue gel typically consists of a mixture of glue and a cross-linking agent such as borax. The glue itself is a polymer called polyvinyl acetate, which has long chains of repeating units. When the borax is added, it forms cross-links between the polymer chains, creating a three-dimensional network structure. This network structure gives the silly putty a stretchy, elastic texture. When you touch the silly putty made from glue gel, it feels soft, pliable, and moldable.
On the other hand, silly putty made from soap is typically created by combining soap flakes or a liquid soap with a plasticizer such as glycerin. The soap molecules consist of a hydrophilic (water-attracting) "head" and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) "tail." In water, the soap molecules form micelles, which are spherical structures with the hydrophobic tails pointing inward towards the center and the hydrophilic heads pointing outward. When the plasticizer is added, it disrupts the organization of the soap molecules and prevents the formation of micelles. This results in a more fluid and gel-like texture for the silly putty made from soap. When you touch it, it can feel slimy and slippery.
Therefore, the difference in touch and texture between the two types of silly putty can be attributed to the different chemical structures and the resulting network structure in the case of glue gel silly putty compared to the more fluid nature of soap-based silly putty.