Hopefully will one day put up my forensic science experiments which the students enjoyed but I want to link them all into a crime story so you can work through it figuring out clues. Just haven't quite planned it all out yet - will be a summer holidays project I think.
But I would like to share some photos of students doing chromatography in class. Really simple procedure.
Need per pen to be tested:
1 cup (clear plastic is best)
1 paddle pop stick
1 strip of chromatography paper or coffee filter paper - I could only find brown on short notice but I do know you can order chromatography paper in bulk and tbh brown wasn't too bad for what we were looking at.
Black marker
Water
Procedure:
Place a dot from the black marker about 1 cm from the bottom of the strip.
Put some water in the bottom of the cup - doesn't need to be too much.
Wrap the strip around the paddle pop stick so that when placed on top of the cup it is just touching the water. The dot should not be submersed in the water.
Watch the magic.
Oh and don't try permanent marker ... made this very stupid mistake and was wondering why it wasn't working - permanent markers do not separate in water. You just end up with a wet piece of paper with a black dot on the end.
Will put up some detailed instructions and worksheet when I get time soon with the science explained.
Labels: science
