Experiment #4 How Permanent Are Permanent Markers

What You Need:

5 solvents

5 brands of permanent markers

1 yard of white cotton fabric

1 piece of wood painted white

black fabric paint

yard stick
Optional : tooth brush, paper towels

Step 1:

Measure 5 columns with yard stick and mark with fabric paint.

Step 2:

Place markers on the left side of fabric.

Place the solvents in each of the 5 columns.

Using markers, make large marks going across in each column.

Each row contains a different marker.

Step 3:
Using tooth brush or paper towel, put solvent on marked fabric.
Does the solvent remover the marker?

Step 4:

Try to rub out the stained fabric before it dries.


Step 5:
Wait for the fabric to dry in order to see the end results.


Step 6:
Make columns with the fabric paint on the wood like the fabric.
Mark the columns with the permanent markers.

Step 7:
Use each of the solvents in each column to remove the markers.
How permanent are these permanent markers?

More Information on Permanent Markers

1. Mini Lesson Plan

2.State Standards
4th Grade Science
GLE 0407 Inq. 3 Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams.
SPI 0407 Inq. 1 Select an investigation that could be used to answer a specific question.
GLE 0407.9.2 Compare the causes and effects of various physical changes in matter.

3.Extended Resources
How permanent are permanent markers? (By: Vannessa and Shannon)

Do Liquids Mix?

For a video of this experiment, click here.

Experiment #3: Do liquids mix?

Molecules dissolve in other molecules that have similar characteristics.(In particular, the ability or inability to distribute electronic chargeis an important characteristic for solubility.) Water is a polarmolecule -- that is, electronic charges are localized on specific atoms.Oil is a non-polar molecule -- electronic charges are de-localized overall atoms. Water dissolves other polar molecules and oil dissolves othernon-polar molecules but water does not dissolve oil (and vice-versa).

More Information on Mixing Liquids

1. Mini Lesson Plan

2. State Standards
3rd Grade Science:
GLE 0307- Select and use appropriate tools and simple equipment to conduct an investigation.
GLE 0307.9.2- Investigate different types of mixtures.
GLE 0307.9.3- Describe different methods to separate mixtures.

3. Extended Resources
What Floats And Sinks (By Ashlee Porter)
Is Water Hard? (By Jessica Vaughn)

Experiment #2: Mix colors together

What you need:

scissors and clear red, blue, and yellow plastic sheet

Cut the sheets into strips of the same size.

Place yellow and blue strips on a white surface.

Green appears where they overlap and the colors mix.

Add a red strip to begin a pattern of squares.

See how red and yellow mix to form orange.

Add another red strip.

See how purple forms where red and blue mix.

Add more strips. Red, blue, and yellow mix to form 3 other colors.

Where the same colors overlap, bright yellow, red, and blue form.

More Information on Mixing Colors Together

1. Mini Lesson Plan

2. State Standards
Grade 4:
GLE 0407.10.2 Investigate how light travels and is influenced by different types of materials and surfaces.
GLE 0407.10.4 Identify and interpret simple patterns of evidence to communicate the findings of an investigation.

3. Extended Resources
Spin Some Colors (By Jessica Vaughn)
Print Pretty Patterns (By Latoya Keaton)