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How to Heat Silly Putty

Silly Putty stretches, bounces, picks up newsprint, and in some cases, it even changes color when it gets warm. "Thinking" Silly Putty is thermochromic, meaning that it responds to heat and changes color. There is a cool color and a warm color. If you want to change the color of your Silly Putty, there are a variety of ways you can heat the Silly Putty up, depending on how hot you need it to be.

Things You'll Need

Silly putty
Hot cup of water
Microwave

Instructions

- 1
  Take the Silly Putty out of the egg and hold it with your hands cupped around it. This will transfer the heat of your hands to the putty and make it softer as well as change its colors if it's thermochromic. For some added heat, rub your hands together vigorously before picking up the Silly Putty to transfer the added heat from friction.
- 2
  Heat a cup of water in the microwave. Once the water is hot, either stick the Silly Putty to the side of the cup, or place it directly in the hot water. The heat from the water will transfer to the Silly Putty, and make it progressively more and more liquid.
- 3
  Microwave the Silly Putty. Place the Silly Putty on a plate and put it in the microwave. The heat will cause the Silly Putty to warm, and then melt. As it cools down, it will solidify back into the putty that it was.

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