Saturday, November 13, 2021

Ink was invented over 4500 years ago! Today, there are many different kinds of ink, including ones that are invisible. In this session, we will make natural inks and invisible magic ink. Learn about chemistry, pH, and acid-base reactions. 

Preparation: 

Natural ink materials: ½ cup of berries (fresh or frozen will work) or ½ cup of ground coffee, vinegar, salt, bowl, water, fine-meshed strainer, a kettle with adult supervision to boil water (if you are using coffee grounds), paper, paintbrush. Optional (if you would like to use ink to dye paper): thick paper or cardstock, a shallow tray, rags you do not mind getting stained

Magic ink materials: baking soda, water, 2 bowls, measuring cups and spoons (½ cup, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon), 2 regular spoons to stir solutions, paper, paintbrush, rubbing alcohol, turmeric

Expert: Brianna Rector is a PhD Candidate at Western University studying carbon steel corrosion dynamic model development.