Test differences in writing instruments with this hands-on activity to demonstrate paper chromatography in action. The class performs an experiment on multiple writing instruments and determines the area of separation to discover an "unknown."

Concepts

paper chromatography, alcohols

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Test additional writing utensils to gather additional data
• Research the importance of paper chromatography throughout history

Classroom Considerations

• Ensure learners do not inhale vapors as it could result in injury

Pros

• Analyzes several types of pens during one experiment
• Offers the ability compare the results of this experiment with real-world scenarios

Cons

• None