Find out
what colors are hiding in leaves, plants, even foods.
See what
colors emerge in fall leaves
Discover
how colors are separated.
What you'll
need
Leaves of different
colors (especially in fall) - collected as in B4W
- Backyard Bounty
flower petals
knives and/or
food processor
Water
Rubbing alcohol
White paper
napkins/towels/coffee filters
Scissors
Hair dryer
small (baby
food) jars
camera
Getting
started
Think about
what colors you expect each leaf and petal to have, and record this in a journal.
Chop one leaf
into small pieces - you don't need very much. In two jars, put enough of the
first to cover the bottom.
To one jar,
add just enough alcohol to cover the leaf; to the other, add just enough water
to cover.
Repeat until
you have two jars for each sample of leaf/petal.
Label the jars
with the plant and liquid type.
Let sit for
at least 30 minutes, longer if possible, until the liquid becomes colored
(darker is better). Swirl every so often. It may help to put the jars in a
pan of hot water.
When the liquid
is dark, put one end of a narrow strip of napkin or filter paper into the
liquid. Secure the other end to the top of the jar.
Take pictures
of your setup now and later as the liquid travels up the paper.
Record what's
happening in your journal.
When the liquid
has almost reached the top of the paper, take it out of the jar and dry it.
Compare the
colors you see on your papers with the predictions you made earlier.
What next
Creation
and invention:
Try this with
food like various lettuces, purple cabbage, radishes, berries, different lettuces,
carrots.
Try different
liquids like nail polish remover, others you can think of.
Create a chart
or graph of your findings.
Discussion:
Where did all
those colors come from?
Are the patterns
different in different liquids?
Which liquid
solvent gave more colors? Moved faster through the paper? Had a darker liquid
to start with?
