Mix It Up


Students explore why some things dissolve but not others by learning about particle interactions.
What You Need
Materials:
- A white coffee filter (Alternatively: a piece of white paper towel)
- A water based marker (ex. Crayola)
- 1 cup with a small amount of water (approx. ½ inch)
- Paper towel/dish rag/towel (for the coffee filter to dry on)
- 1 pipe cleaner/ piece of paper (optional)
- 1 clear cup/jar half full of water
- Liquid food colouring
- Vegetable oil (approx. ¼ cup)
- A small dry cup (for the vegetable oil)
- A fork
What To Do
Chromatography Flowers:
- Fill a small amount of water (½ inch) into a short glass or cup
- Take a coffee filter and draw a thick hollow circle with your water based marker in the middle of the coffee filter
- Fold the coffee filter in half twice to create a triangular shape
- Open the coffee filter such that there is one (1) layer on a side and three (3) layers on the other, this will create a cone
- Balance the cone into the glass so the tip of the cone touches the water but the coloured circle does not touch the water
- Let sit for a minute or so to allow the dyes to separate
- Remove the coffee filter from the glass and set the filter onto a towel/paper to dry
- While drying, you may start Fireworks in a Jar and the filter paper should be dry once the second activity is completed
- Once dry, trim off any white edges
- Fold the coffee filter in half four times and cut the edge so that it is round like a petal
- Open the coffee filter and bunch it up with the center pressed together to firm a mini stem
- Wrap the mini stem with a pipe cleaner or use clear tape to attach your flower to an end of a pencil/pen
Fireworks in a Jar:
- Fill a jar or clear cup with cold water about half way
- Add a few drops of liquid food colouring into your ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- Break up the droplets of food colouring in your oil by tapping them with a fork
- Slowly pour the oil into the water such that there is a layer of oil covering the water before the food colouring droplets pour into the jar
- Observe!
Discovery
What's Happening?
Chromatography Flowers uses the principles of chromatography, solubility and molecule size, to separate out the dyes in a marker. Fireworks in a Jar uses the principles of density and polarity to create a colourful explosion.
What's Happening?
Chromatography Flowers uses the principles of chromatography, solubility and molecule size, to separate out the dyes in a marker. Fireworks in a Jar uses the principles of density and polarity to create a colourful explosion.
Why Does It Matter?
There are many real-life applications pertaining to density, polarity, and solubility.
Why Does It Matter?
There are many real-life applications pertaining to density, polarity, and solubility.
Investigate Further
Chromatography flowers can be made into any shape.
Investigate Further
Chromatography flowers can be made into any shape.