Boron for Kids
BOR-on · Metalloid
I wonder… What makes slime so stretchy?
Boron is a metalloid, which means it's a little like a metal and a little like a nonmetal. It's also a secret ingredient in slime!
Quick facts
- Atomic number
- 5
- Symbol
- B
- Atomic mass
- 10.81
- Type
- Metalloid
- Discovered
- 1808
- Discovered by
- Humphry Davy, Joseph Gay-Lussac, and Louis Thénard
- Name means
- Named after borax, a white powder
- At room temperature
- Solid
How boron was discovered
Part 1 of 3
A science race
In 1808, scientists in England and France were racing to discover new elements. Both teams wanted to unlock the secret inside borax, a white powder people had used for about a thousand years.
Part 2 of 3
Two teams, one element
In England, Humphry Davy zapped chemicals with powerful electricity. In France, Joseph Gay-Lussac and Louis Thénard heated them with a metal called potassium. Both teams found boron only days apart!
Part 3 of 3
Pure at last
The boron they made wasn't very pure. It took 101 more years! In 1909, an American scientist named Ezekiel Weintraub finally made boron that was almost completely pure.
What is boron used for?
Slime
When borax is mixed with glue, it links the glue together into a stretchy, gooey net. That's slime!
Glass that won't crack
Boron makes special glass that can go from cold to hot without cracking, like the glassware in science labs.
Green flames
When boron chemicals burn, they make a bright green flame.
Fun facts about boron
Do plants need it?
Plants need a tiny bit of boron to grow healthy, strong, and green.
Metal or not?
Boron is a metalloid. It's hard and dark like a metal, but it doesn't carry electricity well like most metals do.
How tough can it be?
Some materials made with boron are among the hardest things ever made, almost as hard as diamond!
Inside a boron atom
Boron has 2 electrons on its inside track and 3 on its outside track.
Quiz yourself
1. Which gooey thing can you make with boron?
- Slime
- Jelly
- Peanut butter
Show the answer
Slime. Borax contains boron. Mixed with glue, it makes stretchy slime.
2. Boron is a metalloid. What does that mean?
- It's a little like a metal and a little like a nonmetal
- It's a tiny metal robot
- It's a metal that melts in your hand
Show the answer
It's a little like a metal and a little like a nonmetal. Metalloids are in-between elements: a bit like metals, a bit like nonmetals.
Try it at home (with a grown-up): Make boron slime
Grown-up needed! Only do this with a grown-up right next to you, the whole time.
You'll need
- A grown-up helper, right next to you the whole time
- ½ cup of white school glue
- ½ tablespoon of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of contact lens solution (the label must list boric acid or sodium borate)
- A bowl and a spoon
- Food coloring (if you want)
What to do
- Pour the glue into the bowl. Add a drop of food coloring if you want.
- Stir in the baking soda.
- Grown-up’s job Add the contact lens solution. This is the part with boron in it!
- Stir, stir, stir! Watch the glue turn into a blob.
- Knead it with your hands until it stops being sticky. You just linked glue together with boron!
- Grown-up’s job When playtime is over, seal the slime in a bag and throw it away within a few days.
Safety rules
- Only use contact lens solution. Never use borax powder, which can burn skin.
- A grown-up handles the contact lens solution.
- Play for a short time, then wash your hands with soap and water.
- If your skin gets red or itchy, stop and wash your hands.
- Never eat slime or put it near your eyes or mouth.
- Keep slime away from little kids, pets and carpets.
Draw it
Draw your dream slime. What color is it? What's mixed in?
Riddle
“I'm a little bit metal and a little bit not, and I'm the secret to stretchy slime. What am I?”
Explore boron with animations, read-aloud and a drawing pad
Open it on Atom a Day →