Hobbies And Interests
Who Created Silly Putty?
James Wright, a Scotsman working for General Electric in New Haven, Connecticut, was wrestling with the synthetic rubber problem. In one experiment he combined boric acid and silicone oil. The ingredients formed a polymer, a substance whose molecular structure consists of a large number of similar units bonded together. He eased the goop out of the test tube, played with it a bit, then happily tossed some on the floor to see what it did. It bounced. Even though it was fun, engineers around the world who were sent samples of "bouncing putty" could find no practical use for it.
Silly Putty Makes the Move
In 1949 Ruth Fallgatter, a New Haven toy shop owner, found out about the bouncing putty and thought it would make a good toy. With marketing consultant Peter Hodgson she discussed including the product in her store's catalog for that year. It was sold in small, clear containers for $2 each. Even at that high price, it was her top seller that year. Ms. Fallgatter was not interested in keeping the product in her store or catalog, but Mr. Hodgson felt it could be a successful toy. He had a lucrative career from making and selling what he trademarked as "Silly Putty." Eventually his son sold the rights to the product to Binney &Smith, makers of Crayola products, who still owns and markets Silly Putty.
Why Does Silly Putty Act That Way?
Silly Putty is a "solid liquid," according to the Silly Putty University website. More correctly, it is a non-Newtonian liquid, in that it does not obey Newtonian laws. As such, it feels and acts like a thick liquid when acted upon slowly. When pushed or pulled slowly, the molecules will move along, or flow, in an orderly fashion, allowing it to be pulled into a long thin string--think of a "string" of honey or glue--or easily shaped and flattened. If acted upon quickly, however, the molecules in a non-Newtonian liquid resist the action. They will not move along or flow.
So, when Silly Putty is gently rolled between the hands, it can be shaped into a ball. But when the ball is dropped or tossed the action is now fast and the ball not only retains its shape - it bounces. When slowly pulled Silly Putty will flow into a long string. When it is pulled quickly, it will snap apart into two pieces. A ball of Silly Putty hit with a hammer will shatter.
Because it is a synthetic polymer, Silly Putty will retain its non-Newtonian characteristics indefinitely if stored properly.
Transferring Images From Newspapers
One thing that used to be promoted as a way to have fun with Silly Putty was to flatten it into a pancake and press it flat against a photo or comic in the newspaper. The Silly Putty would pick up enough of the ink from the paper that the image would transfer to the surface of the Silly Putty. This is no longer as easy to do. The inks used by most newspapers are now soy-based inks, whereas the old inks were mineral oil with fine carbon powder added. Because it never truly dried, this ink could be picked up by the Silly Putty. Soy inks dry completely and cannot be picked up by the putty.