Gluep- A Polymer Study- Student Instruction Sheet Introduction: Gluep is a polymer made from Elmers glue (polyvinyl acetate)

and borax solution. Borax can be found in the laundry detergent section of stores. First, lests learn a little Latin Poly- means "many" and -mer means "part" or "segment". Mono means "one". So, monomers are those itty bitty molecules that can join together to make a long polymer chain made of many, many, many molecules. How many is "many many many"? Well, usually a single polymer molecule is made out of hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of monomers. Teachers say that polymers are like TV: Both have lots and lots of repeats. Some polymers are rubbery, like a bouncy ball, some are sticky and gooey, like the Gluep youll make today, and some are hard and tough, like a skateboard. See below for more examples.

Materials: -Plastic cup

-Stirring stick

- Food coloring

Procedure: 1. Place 6 teaspoons of glue mixture into a paper cup 2. Stir one drop of food coloring into the glue mixture with a wooden stirring rod. 3. Measure 10mL of the borax solution into a graduated cylinder. 4. While your lab partner stirs gently, pour the borax solution into the glue and food coloring mixture. Continue to stir until the solution clings to the stick. 5. When the gel begins to form a ball around the stick in your cup, take it out and kneed it with your hands Clean-up: 1. Do NOT wash Gluep down the drain! Dispose of all Gluep in the trash or as instructed by your teacher. Check the floor and lab area for stray pieces too. 2. Clean your lab area, removing any sticky glue mess with provided towels. 3. Wash your hands when you are finished.

Additional Information: http://www.pslc.ws/macrog/kidsmac/index.htm Gluep- A Polymer Study- Student Data Sheet Pre-Lab Vocabulary 1. Molecule2. Compound3. Monomer4. Polymer5. Condensation/Dehydration reaction6. Hydrolysis ReactionQuestions: 1. Quickly roll the Gluep into a ball. Does it keep its shape? 2. Pat the Gluep between your palms and try to form a thin film. Hold the film at one end and describe what happens: 3. Kneed the ball of Gluep for about 3 minutes. Describe what happens after this time of kneading. 4. What is the excess liquid that was made after you kneaded the Gluep? 5. Where did it come from? 6. What type of chemical reaction was occurring as you kneaded the Gluep? 7. Proteins are super-long molecules made of amino acids. Explain how amino acids are joined to make a protein.

8. If your Gluep gets hard to kneed or play with, how can you make it more pliable? 9. Using the following symbol to symbolize a monomer 8 monomers. draw a short polymer made of

10. Use arrows in your drawing to show where water would be added in a hydrolysis reaction.

Caution: Some people are allergic to borax so it is VERY important to wash you hands after handling the solution. Gluep is non-toxic but may damage wood, upholstery, and carpets.