In this primary session we investigate the properties of materials that don’t obviously fall into one of the categories gas/liquid/solid. Starting from the difference between these three states we start with the so-called Newtonian fluids introducing the ideas of viscosity. We then move on to materials which behave in different ways according to the stress applied, the so-called shear-thinning (e.g. ketchup) materials and shear-thickening (e.g. custard) materials.

The practical exercise involves the making of ‘silly-putty’ from household materials showing that it can flow like fluid or bounce like a rubber ball.

PRIMARY: Newtonian fluids, shear-thinning and shear-thickening materials