Silly Putty does not flow like water or conventional liquids. Instead, it behaves as a shear-dependent, time-dependent material, making it a prime example of a viscoelastic and non-Newtonian fluid.

Silly Putty’s flow is not comparable to water or conventional liquids because it is a non-Newtonian, viscoelastic material whose behavior depends on applied stress. Unlike water, which has a constant viscosity, Silly Putty flows slowly like a liquid under gentle force but behaves like a solid when rapidly deformed, bouncing or breaking instead of flowing. This occurs due to its shear-thickening properties, meaning its resistance to flow increases with stress, unlike conventional fluids.