What it shows
Many inks are mixtures of colours. As water climbs the paper, each colour travels a different distance, depending on how well it dissolves and how strongly it sticks to the paper.
This idea has a short entry only. For the science behind it, read the sentence above with your textbook and ask your teacher to explain the law or idea it shows, so you can describe it in your own words.
Materials
- Filter paper or coffee filter strips
- Sketch pens of different brands
- A glass of water
- A pencil and clips
Safety
This project uses safe, everyday materials. Still, read the rules below with a parent before you start.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
All the safety rulesHow to go about it
Numbered steps have not been written for this idea yet. Plan it with your teacher: sketch the design with measurements, build one part at a time, test each part, and write every observation with the date. The free ebooks below have step-by-step projects of the same kind.
Take it further
Measure each colour’s distance and work out its Rf value: the distance moved by the colour divided by the distance moved by the water.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
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