Can Custard Act Like A Solid

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• Can Custard Act Like A Solid?

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Can custard act like a solid?

• To find out whether custard can act like a solid
  we need to prepare
• some to experiment with.
• To make the custard you will need
• Wooden spoon 150g custard powder
• Pan 6 pints of water
• Large mixing bowl large tray or grill pan
• Measuring jug
• In a pan, bring to the boil, 5 pints of water.
• Measure out the custard powder into a small
  bowl.
• Measure out 1 pint of cold water into a jug, add
  the custard powder and mix to a
• smooth paste.
• Pour the smooth paste into the large mixing
  bowl.
• When the water is boiling, your teacher will
  pour the water into the paste whilst you stir the
  
• custard.

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• The custard powder and water mixture is a
  mixture of solid particles suspended in a liquid,
  called a colloid.
• A colloid consists of tiny particles of matter
  that are dispersed evenly throughout a gas,
  liquid, or solid. If left to stand, the tiny
  particles of matter will not settle out of the
  gas, liquid, or solid.
• When you stir the mix slowly or lower an object
  into it slowly, the custard powder particles can
  move around in the water quite freely, and so it
  acts as a liquid. When you stir the mix faster or
  push something into it quickly, the solid
  particles rub against each other causing
  friction. This makes them stick together and act
  like a solid.

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Whats Happening Inside the Custard
Here the particles are forced to move quickly and
they collide with others which cannot move out of
the way in time
Here the particles move slowly and have time to
find a way through the mixture
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Testing of the theory Can custard act like a
solid?

• To find out whether the custard can act like a
  solid we first of all need to make sure we are
  wearing our old clothes.
• The custard then needs to be moved to an
  outdoor area where it does not matter if you make
  a mess.
• You then need to hit the custard quite firmly
  and quickly with the palm of your hand so that
  the molecules do not have time to disperse and
  they prevent your hand from sinking into the
  custard.
• So can you walk across custard without sinking.?