Slumpy solids or lumpy liquids
In this activity, students explore a range of common household substances to determine if they have the properties of a solid, a liquid or both.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
conduct a series of tests to identify the properties of solids and liquids
record observations in a table
use these results to classify each test substance as a Newtonian fluid or a non-Newtonian fluid.
Different liquids
Water, milk, juice, oil, tomato sauce, honey and custard are all liquids, although some of them are special liquids called non-Newtonian fluids.
Download the Word file for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
discussion questions
extension ideas
classifying liquids.
Nature of science
Scientists gain understanding by systematically observing and describing things. From these observations, they look for patterns and use these to make explanations.
Related content
Explore these big science ideas and concepts before starting this activity:
