Chromatography Paper With Washable Markers

School Spotlight: Student chemistry camp finds right mix

As a pink slime oozed between his fingers, 12, Sydney Fry said to the concoction was the best part of camp fun with chemistry, she attended, on the campus of UW-Madison.

"It's fun to play with," Sydney said about the mix-based glue. "I'll try to get it under control."

Based glue mixture white - red tinted so it came out pink - was one of the activities to learn about polymers in the camp the last few years, which is one of the Institute for the Education Summer Camps chemical chemistry.

"They did a couple of different kinds of polymers that are kind of slimish" said Brittland DeKorver, camp director.

Sydney will be in seventh grade at Sacred Heart School in Reedsburg, was one of 50 campers who enter the fifth to eighth grade this year.

DeKorver said the students spent most of their time in the chemistry labs in the building they have learned about the concepts of basic chemicals such as elements, acids and bases, irons and chromatography, metals and alloys and crystals and polymers

For about a year chromatography, which is a set of techniques for separating mixtures into components, the campers worked with washable markers, permanent markers and different solvents to see if they could separate the components of these markers.

After they learned that rubbing alcohol is the cause of the colors of permanent markers to spread, the students used this knowledge to create an effect on the tie-dye T-shirts.

Sign Nettum, 11, will be a sixth grader at Hamilton College, said it was her favorite activity.

Molly Grindle, 12, who is a seventh grader Kromrey Middle School in Middleton, said she attended the camp because she wants to work as a chemist.

"It's like ... preparation for high school, "said Charles Hua, 11, will be a sixth grader at Hamilton.

Cool Chromatography Experiment

Cut a piece of filter paper or coffee filter into rectangular strips (approximately ½” x 3-4”). Draw a pencil line across the narrow end of a strip, about 1 cm from the bottom. Draw a small dot with the black marker on the pencil line. Use a binder clip or tape to attach the paper strip to a pencil. Set the pencil across the top of a beaker or cup. Adjust the paper strip until it hangs down without touching the sides or bottom of the beaker. Carefully pour water into the beaker until it just touches the bottom of the paper strip. (Make sure the water level is below the marker spot, or else the ink will just run off into the water.) Water will begin to travel up the paper. When the water nears the top of the paper, remove the strip from the beaker and let it dry on a paper plate or hanging in an empty cup. The series of colors you see is called a chromatogram. What's happening?  As the water travels up the paper strip, it dissolves the ink and pulls it up the paper too. The black ink is actually a mixture of several different pigments, or coloring agents. Some pigments dissolve in water easier and are pulled with the water farther up the paper. Others are more attracted to the paper and move more slowly. Usually smaller molecules will move farther than larger ones. What colors do you see on your chromatogram? Was the black marker really black?  The three primary colors used when mixing dyes or paints are red, yellow, and blue. Other colors are often a mixture of these three colors. Try running a chromatography test again with non-primary-color markers, like purple, brown, and orange. See what hidden colors are really there! You can also try using other solvents, such as rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover, especially for permanent pens and markers that won't dissolve in water. 

Cut a piece of filter paper or coffee filter into rectangular strips (approximately ½” x 3-4”). Draw a pencil line across the narrow end of a strip, about 1 cm from the bottom. Draw a small dot with the black marker on the pencil line. Use a binder clip or tape to attach the paper strip to a pencil. Set the pencil across the top of a beaker or cup. Adjust the paper strip until it hangs down without touching the sides or bottom of the beaker. Carefully pour water into the beaker until it just touches the bottom of the paper strip. (Make sure the water level is below the marker spot, or else the ink will just run off into the water.

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