That moment that ketchup transitions from a solid, high up in the ketchup bottle, to a liquid that squirts all over your fries – that moment is a big physics moment. Why? Ketchup is a non-Newtonian fluid (like oobleck, peanut butter, custard, toothpaste, paint, blood, or quicksand) that can switch between a solid and liquid state, and ketchup is non-Newtonian in two different ways…
In that transition moment, ketchup may be responding to a strong, quick force, suddenly making it thinner, or if you’re patient and apply just a wee bit of force, it may start flowing given some time and gravity. Grab a ketchup bottle and get the details in this TED Ed lesson by George Zaidan, with animation by TOGETHER.
Related watching: oobleck, TED Ed, the incredible physics of ants, and more about that sugar in your ketchup.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.