Chromatography Science Experiment 

Materials: Non-permanent markers, white coffee filters, pencil, cups of water, black pipe cleaners, string, scissors 

1. Choose one marker to experiment with first. (Hint~ black and brown are the most exciting!)
2. Take one coffee filter. Put it on a newspaper or some kind of material to protect your table. Draw a thick circle around the center of the coffee filter where the ridged part meets the flat center. Use a pencil to write the color of the marker being used right in the center. (You’ll want to know what the original color was being  used, and the pencil won’t smear and will remain intact after the experiment.)
3. Fold the coffee filter in half and then in half again, resulting in a cone shape.
4. Get a short cup of water. Pull apart the cone shaped coffee filter so it balances right on the glass with the tip of the cone just touching the water. (Be sure NOT to let the marker circle go in the water, just the uncolored tip of the coffee filter cone.)
5. Let it sit and watch what happens as the water begins to flow up the paper.
6. Repeat with different colored markers. Here are ours starting out…
7. After the water has reached the outer edge of the coffee filter, place it on a newspaper to dry.  Once the coffee filters are dry you can observe the results.