Make glue from milk
We have looked at making ‘plastic milk’ before. This week we are taking it one step further and making glue.
What you need:
- Milk
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Pan
- Water
- Strainer
Instructions
- Heat 1 and a half cups of milk in a pan, once warm add 3 teaspoons of white vinegar.
- Keep heating and stirring the mixture and you should see the curds ( solid part ) and whey ( liquid part ) separate.
- Strain the mixture using a sieve. You should be left with solid lumps which you can mould together to make a ball.
- Place the solid mixture back in the pan and add a little water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
- Heat the mixture until it starts to bubble.
- Give it a good stir and let it cool. You can now use it as glue. You might need to add a little more water or baking soda until you get the right consistency. It should look like a thick paste.
- I tested ours by sticking two egg boxes together ( both contain eggs, so are heavy ). It worked!!!
The Science bit
Here’s what happened to the milk. By adding the vinegar, you create a chemical reaction which makes the milk to separate into two parts, a solid (the curds), and a liquid (the whey). The curds are milk protein, called casein. Liquid casein is a natural glue.
When we add the baking soda it neutralises the vinegar ( which is acidic ). The bubbles are caused by Carbon dioxide gas being given off as part of the reaction. The curds form a liquid again after being neutralised.
Emma @sciencesparks
8 Comments
Leave a Comment
Please vote for us in Innovative and Schooldays
Subscribe
Our Sponsors
Follow us here
It’s very interesting. I have this idea in my mind but I haven’t realize it yet. Every sunday we do a scientific experimet and maybe one of the next sunday we will make it.
Greetings from Ital
Sorry from Italy
Ah! Interesting – not doing this one though when there are more beautiful things i still haven’t done – like the Christmas sugar crystals!
amazing! that’s very clever…although I cant begin to imagine the smell!
x
My kids would love this! Fantastic idea! Thanks!
WOW!! How cool! You come up with the neatest ideas!!! Thanks for linking up to TGIF =-)
Beth
oh NEAT! So glad I found this post…I’m going to try making glue! I’d love it if you would share this with my readers for Fun Stuff Fridays. Would you please link up? http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2012/02/14-days-of-valentines-fun-stuff-fridays_10.html
Very cool I think I need to store these ideas up for when I go back to teaching
Thank you for linking up to Tuesday Tots