Black Magic/Chromotography

To follow our review of solubility, etc., we conducted an experiment with non-permanent markers and water. Most non-permanent markers use colored pigments -- we used black because black ink includes a lot of color; it just looks black because it absorbs so much light that there is not much left to reflect in your eye and you see black. On a coffee filter, the water in the ink carries the pigment onto the paper as it moves across it. If you let it dry and then dip the paper in water, the pigments will dissolve. All pigments travel at different rates depending on the size of the pigment molecule and how strongly it is attracted to the surface it is on. By examining where ingredients end up, scientists can determine what was combined to make a mixture. Chromotography (this process of separating pigments) can be used to determine ingredients in flavors, scents, pollutants, etc. This was a simple way to review these things! And, it was quick and mess free! Here are some pics.