Permanent Markers Science Projects

Students enjoy learning about science and the scientific process most when the subject matter interests them. Integrate the love of coloring with science by conducting science projects centered around markers.

Students should focus primarily on the scientific processes and the importance of conducting experiments in a controlled environment. Projects about markers are appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students, but may be expanded to meet the needs of older students, or for use as official science fair project ideas as well.

Dry Time

Everyone knows that if a marker’s cap is left off for too long, the marker will become dry and unusable. Conduct a test to see which brand of permanent marker last the longest with their caps off, and whether any other factors contribute to the amount of time it takes for a marker to dry out.

Gather together two or more brands of markers of like color, preferably a brand name marker and a less expensive marker, and compare how long it takes for the marker to dry out. Test the markers side by side on a data sheet, at three-minute intervals, to see which marker stays moist the longest.

Expand the project to see if room conditions play any part in their markers effectiveness. Consider placing the markers near a sunny window, in the refrigerator or freezer, or near a fan. Record your observations and determine why room conditions may affect the marker’s tip.

Cleaning Permanent Markers

Although permanent markers are designed to remain permanently on objects, test to see if different cleansers may impact the effectiveness of the marker to remain on the object.

For this project you will need several types of cleaners such as oil-based, bleach-based, or alcohol-based cleaners, as well as several testing objects such as cloth, plastic, wood, and carpet. Stain each test subject once for each type of cleaner and a second time to compare the cleaner to the original marking, also known as the control stain; so if you are testing four cleaners, you would mark the test subject five times.

Allow the stains to dry before applying cleanser. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for each cleaner. Remember to test only one type of cleaner on each individual stain. Keep in mind that some cleaners may be harsher than others; students who are using the cleaners should wear gloves to keep their skin protected.

Compare results to the control stain. Allow students to look at the chemical ingredients of each cleaner and hypothesize why some cleaners worked better than others.

Easy Tie-Dye

Permanent markers, unlike washable markers, will not wash away with water. However, stains made from permanent markers will dissipate on clothes when combined with other solvents such as rubbing alcohol.

Creating tie-dye-like shirts with permanent markers and rubbing alcohol will demonstrate how molecules spread (in a circular pattern) and teach about solubility and color mixing. For this experiment you will need a set of permanent markers of different colors and a dropper of rubbing alcohol; each student will need his own T-shirt, plastic cup and rubber band.

Stretch the T-shirt over the plastic cup opening and secure it in place with the rubber band. Mark the shirt with markers near the center of the circle; the marking should only be about the size of a quarter. Using a dropper filled with rubbing alcohol, squeeze between 10 and 20 drops of liquid into the center of your markings. The alcohol will spread out in a circular pattern, taking the colors outward. Continue adding alcohol to the center of your markings until your color circle is the desired size; do not let the pattern go out farther than the edge of the cup. Allow the colors to try for about five minutes before creating another color pattern on the shirt. Set the colors on the shirt by heating it up in the dryer for about 15 minutes.

References

• Steve Spangler Science: Tie-Dye