Sodium Silicate Polymer Lab

Question: How will this polymer compare to the previous polymer?

Hypothesis: It will be more liquid-like.


Materials:
Sodium Silicate solution, 12 mL
Ethyl alcohol, 3 mL
2 small beakers
stirring rod
paper towels
safety goggles
graduated cylinder

Procedures:
Figure out the question and form a hypothesis. Measure 12 mL of Sodium silicate solution into the graduated cylinder. Pour the Sodium silicate solution into one of the small beakers. Make sure not to let it come in contact with any skin. Place 3 mL of ethyl alcohol in the other small beaker. Then, pour the alcohol into the sodium silicate. Immediately start stirring with the stirring rod. Stir vigorously until the liquids are completely gone and all that is left is a solid. Remove the solid and roll into a ball. Experiment and have fun. Form a conclusion.

Results:
When creating the polymer I followed the procedures as listed above. The following are diagrams of what happened when we followed the procedures.

This is a diagram of what it looked like when I was pouring both the alcohol and the sodium silicate solution. I then poured the liquid from the graduated cylinder into one of the small beakers.

I then had 2 beakers, each with either sodium silicate solution or ethyl alcohol in them.

We then stirred vigorously after pouring the alcohol into the sodium silicate solution.

The substance started to clump up together around the stirring rod. 

We then placed the ball in the palm of our hand and used the other one to form a ball. We did several bounce tests. Each time we dropped it, small pieces broke off of it. I accidentally crushed the ball in my hand. It became a crumbly mess.

Below is a venn diagram comparing this polymer to the polymer from the previous polymer we created using glue and borax. 

Conclusion:

I think that even though my hypothesis was incorrect that this lab was a lot of fun. Just because both reactants were composed of liquids doesn't make the end result a liquid or even necessarily liquidly. If I were to do this again I would use greater quantities. I would make a larger ball and experiment for a longer amount of time.

Maybe next time I would see how different amounts of each, not in a ratio, would change the substance. It might become something entirely different from the polymer we created with the specific quantities. It might stay a liquid, or maybe, by some odd chance, become a gas. Different quantities could certainly change the out come of this experiment.