How is the mass of sodium tetraborate related to the amount of stretch in slime?
I was doing some googling and I came across something that had to do with cross-linking but I didn't really understand it. Could someone explain why the slime gets more or less stretchy?
The mass of sodium tetraborate, also known as borax, is indeed related to the amount of stretch in slime. To fully understand this relationship, it's important to first understand the concept of cross-linking.
Cross-linking is a process in which individual polymer chains in a substance, like slime, are connected to each other through chemical bonds. In the case of slime, the polymer chains are typically made up of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecules. When borax is added to PVA-based slime, it forms a bond with the PVA molecules, creating cross-links between them.
The more borax you add to slime, the more cross-links are formed. This means that there are more connections between the PVA molecules, resulting in a stronger and more rigid slime. As a result, the slime becomes less stretchy because the cross-links restrict the movement of the polymer chains.
On the other hand, if you decrease the amount of borax, there will be fewer cross-links in the slime. This allows the polymer chains to move more freely, resulting in a more flexible and stretchy slime.
In summary, the mass of sodium tetraborate (borax) affects the amount of cross-linking in slime, which influences its stretchiness. Adding more borax increases cross-linking and makes the slime less stretchy, while reducing the amount of borax decreases cross-linking and makes the slime more stretchy.