In really simple terms Chromatography is a method of separating a mixture of chemicals. M and Z were interested to see what colours were in the ink of different coloured pens. They drew dots of different coloured ink on blotting paper about an inch from the bottom of the paper.
Next, they placed the blotting paper in a jar with about a cm of water in. The paper soaked up the ink and the colours separated.
We initially tried this experiment with Sharpie’s (permanent markers), these inks didn’t separate easily so we tried regular felt tips and achieved better results.
The purple, brown and grey felt tips pens produced interesting results. Have a go and see what colours you see…
In this photograph, you can see the difference between using sharpies and using regular felt tip pens.
Thanks for reading. 🙂
The Real Lara Shoe 
You are likely to get better separation if you use a small blob of colour. You could try other liquids as the solvent … e.g. white vinegar?
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Thanks, we will definitely give it try with vinegar 😀
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Aw looks like they had a lovely time x
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I remeber doing this when I was little and being fascinated by it #fabfridaypost
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Nothing like having fun, learning, and having good supporting shots to share too! Fab! #fabfridaypost xoxo
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This looks like a fun project! Kids love the simple things in life and this would be cool to turn into an art project as well. #FabFridayPost
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Wow! What an interesting experiment! I’d like to do this with this kids over the holiday. We have plenty of jars lying around! lol! #fabfridaypost xxx
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