Filter paper planets: a chromatography activity

This activity is a fun introduction to chromatography while learning about the different planets in our solar system.

The idea is that children believe each planet using filter paper while thinking about the size and color of each one.

It is impossible to obtain correct size comparisons since the difference, in reality, is so vast, but you can make some planets smaller than others.

Filter paper planets

You will need

Circular filter paper

Propine (non -permanent) pen (non -permanent)

Pipette

Water

Tray

Solar system diagram that shows the planets in orbit around the sun

Instructions

Choose a planet from the solar system and choose colors to use to do it.

Draw small color circles in the filter paper.

Gotte carefully the water on each circle with a pipette.

Note how colors extend. You should see a separation of each ink, showing its constituent colors.

Hang the filter papers to dry and then cut it to size.

The chromatography crafts made to resemble the planets of the Solar System. A child is dripping water from a pipette in a small circle of filter paper made to resemble a planet.

What is chromatography?

Chromatography It is a scientific technique used to separate mixtures.

In this activity, the different color inks on each felt tip travel to different speeds through the filter paper and, therefore, are separated. Dark inks generally have more different colors than lighter colors.

This activity is not ideal to see the separation of the ink, but it looks good, and the colors are blurred to look like a planet.

If you want to obtain more information about chromatography, configure an investigation using only a small point of each color felt tip at the bottom of a filter paper and Cuelguela paper so that only the lower part sits in the water and observes how the colors are separated while moving by paper.