Plasticity Lab

Just recently we learned about the Earth’s mantle having plasticity. We recreated a lab to visualize this, by mixing the substances of water and cornstarch. The end result was a thick amorphous solid. An amorphous solid is a solid that has the capability to flow. The mixture made in my group was very gooey. It did not take a complete form because too much water was added and not enough corn starch. Thus, we did not have the opportunity to make the mixture into a ball. When I pushed my finger into the substance quickly, I did not give it enough time to leave my finger’s mark. On the other hand, slowly pushing into the mixture, the mark remained and that area swiftly became a solid. Also, the mixture turned into a solid when force was acting upon it. Continuously applying pressure resulted the now solid to crumble. However, between my fingers, it was flowing like a liquid. This mixture is very similar to earth’s mantle because of its movement. The asthenosphere is one of the layers of the mantle which is made up of molten lava. Like the mixture, it is an amorphous solid because of its ability to flow. The two are similar because they both have plasticity. I found this lab to be interesting and entertaining.