Have you ever…
… held chocolate lentils in your hand for too long, so they melted? (The movie was probably too exciting 😉 ) The colored coatings of the chocolate lentils can dissolve through the sweat on your skin and through heat. Have the colors mixed together?
… accidentally knocked over a glass of water next to your homework?
Not only forensic scientists, researchers, and doping analysts use chromatography – for example, to analyze pen samples!
To understand how they do this, you can also analyze the colors of pens.
What happens when the water runs over the notes? You can recreate the mishap from the comic at home! Here’s what you need:
Here’s how to do it:
1. Write a few words with a black felt-tip pen on a white sheet of paper, filter paper (white or brown coffee filters are also possible), or a paper towel.
2. Then, drip some water onto the paper from the side, close to the writing, preferably on a waterproof surface.
Make sure the water doesn’t directly touch the writing and only use a little water at a time, otherwise the color will be “washed out.”
Feel free to upload photos of your experiment to our blog!
You can share your results with others in the community.
Good luck!