Science Smarts: Flower science for spring
By Patty Rooks on April 29, 2023.
Spring is supposed to be here… I know it is trying really hard. Unfortunately, the weather has not been warm enough yet to put some flowers outside, so this week, I thought we could make some of our very own “flowers” to keep inside to brighten our day! Let’s get started. *Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment. Materials • Coffee filters • Water soluble markers • Spray bottle full of water • Scissors • Pipe cleaners • Glue • Baking pan • Vase (optional) Procedure 1. Have an adult help you cut out the flower design you wish to have. 2. Using the markers, place dots with different colours (if you wish) all over the coffee filter. 3. Lay your flower on the baking pan. 4. GENTLY mist the flowers with water. 5. Observe. 6. What is going on? 7. Allow the flowers to dry for a day or so undisturbed. 8. If you wish, glue some pipe cleaners onto the flowers and put in a vase to enjoy! What is going on? In science class you may have done a variation of this experiment called CHROMATOGRAPHY. Chromatography is a technique that separates a mixture into its components. I was quite surprised at how common chromatography is. This technique (of course much more complex) is used in everting from the study of forensics to food regulation and even athlete testing! Of course, we simplified it so we could do it at home. In your experiment, you should have observed the colour spreading across the coffee filter as the water you misted onto it was absorbed. This happens because water is a solvent that can rise through the paper fibres of the coffee fitter. As the water is pulled up it hits the water soluble marker colours. As the water continues to be pulled into the filter and drawn up, it continues to spread out the colours into beautiful designs. Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. We are located at: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca. 25-24
