This 100g tub of Smart putty provides a great way to demonstrate the properties of dilatant compounds and theromochromatic pigments. This visco-elastic polymer's viscosity increases with the rate of shear strain applied to it, meaning that it can display many different physical characteristics; bouncing, snapping, flowing, stretching, or shattering depending upon the force applied to it and the timescale during which that force is applied.
The thermochromatic pigment changes colour when heat is applied; at specific temperatiures the liquid crstals re-orientate to produce an apparent change of colour. The liquid crystal material itself is micro-encapuslate - contained within a microscopic spherical capsule, billions of these capsules are mixed ith the base to achieve the thermochromatic effect.
Not just very clever and educational, Smart Putty will also provide hours of fun, and is a great stress reliever! Strech it, snap it, shatter it, mould it, change its colour, and bounce away the stress and frustrations of the day.
Dilatant Properties: - Long timescales: behaves like a liquid and spreads out onto a flat surface
- Moderate timescales: stretches like a pastic solid
- Short timescales: bounces like an elastic solid
- Very short timescales (ie the impact of a high-speed projectile): it shatters!
