Black Magic (Color Chromatography)

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
With a coffee filter, a black marker, and a cup of water, discover the secret colors hidden in black ink. This activity explores capillary action--how water moves up paper--and chromatography--how different elements of the ink are carried along at different rates, allowing you to see that black ink is actually made up of many different colors.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per student
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • scissors
  • white paper coffee filter or paper towel
  • black non-permanent marker (water-based)
  • coffee cup or mug
  • water

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Light and Optics
    • Light and Optics
      • Reflection and Refraction
    • States of Matter
      • Liquids
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Crime Science

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Exploratorium, 1998