Final answer:
The cause of thickening of a starch mixture is the swelling of starch granules when they come into contact with water.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thickening of a starch mixture can be caused by swelling of starch granules. When starch granules come into contact with water, they absorb water and swell in size. This causes the mixture to thicken as the starch granules retain water.