Our Growing Gator
The growing gator is an example of an expandable water toy. They come as lots of different creatures and are often called Grow Monsters. Dinosaurs, reptiles, robots, and eggs are some of the most popular Grow Monsters. You can often find them for sale in dollar stores.
Expandable water toys are made from a chemical that is able to absorb an amazing amount water. This kind of chemical is called a superabsorbent polymer. It is able to soak up tremendous amounts of water because the water is drawn into and held by the molecules of the polymer. This amazing polymer can absorb hundreds of times its own weight in water.
In this activity, your task is to monitor the growth of you gator as it lays in a pool of water for several days. You should record your observations, make measurements, and then graph your data to show the changes in your gator.
Key Concepts: matter, materials, mixtures, properties, polymers.
