Shear thickening of corn starch suspensions: does concentration matter?

Suspensions of corn starch and water are the most common example of a shear thickening system. Investigations into the non-Newtonian flow behavior of corn starch slurries have ranged from simplistic elementary school demonstrations to in-depth rheological examinations that use corn starch to further elucidate the mechanisms that drive shear thickening. Here, we determine how much corn starch is required for the average person to ‘‘walk on water’’ (or in this case, run across a pool filled with corn starch and water).