|
Discover a mysterious hidden rainbow in your school supplies. Draw with your black magic marker
(not permanent ink) on a coffee filter soaked in water and watch as secret colors emerge on the
filter paper
What You'll Need:
- Scissors
- White paper coffee filter
- Plate
- Black magic marker (not permanent)
- Water
What to Do:
Use a clean, dry coffee filter circle. Draw a black spot in the center of the
filter circle and place it on a plate. Then put a few drops of water on the spot. In a few minutes
you'll see rings of cool colors that go out from the center of the circle to its edges.
Why This Happens:
This slick trick is actually a scientific technique called chromatography, or
"color writing." Most non-permanent markers use inks that are made of colored pigments and water.
When you mix green, red, blue, and yellow ink, each ink that you add absorbs more light and then
less light is reflected. Since the mixture absorbs the light of many colors, you end up with black.
On a coffee filter, the water in the inkcarries the pigment onto the paper. When the ink dries, the
pigment remains on the paper.
|
