Discover color chromatography science and separate marker pigments with easy at-home materials. (Hint: It's like color mixing, but in reverse!)
What you need:
- Coffee filters
- Washable markers
- Water
- Cups
- Pipe cleaners
How to make coffee filter flowers:
1. Using a washable marker, draw a circle on a coffee filter about 1-2 inches from the center. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure it’s a thick circle and packed full of ink.
2. Fold your coffee filter into a cone.
3. Fill a cup with a little bit of water, and then add your coffee filter so the tip without the ink touches the water.
4. Wait a few minutes, and you’ll see the ink start to rise up. When you like how it looks, take it out to dry.
5. Fold it into a flower shape, twist the end, and use a pipe cleaner to secure it and create a stem.
6. Make as many as you want for a colorful bouquet!
What’s going on?
Most markers use mixtures of several different chemicals to create their colors. This means that when the ...