hi!

Bring your drawings to life by making them float on water!

Brought to you by Kira, Elia, Angelica, and Angelina, this fun and easy experiment lets you make your drawings move by combining dry-erase markers and water.

Draw whatever you want, pour in some water, and boom! Your drawing will start to move. Let's try it out!

All you need is...

Water

Any temperature is fine!

Plate

Make sure it is ceramic or glass!

Expo Marker

Any color is okay!

Or click HERE to watch an demonstration video with Kira and Elia!

PROCEDURE

click HERE if you would like to print out the instructions.

Step 1

Get all your materials out and ready.

Step 2

Draw whatever you want using your expo marker onto the plate. Try to make sure that all lines in the drawing are connected, so that the drawing does not break apart later.

Step 3 & 4

Let dry for around 15-30 seconds. Pour in water gently!

Step 5

Watch as your drawing begins to float and move.

Here are some fun drawing examples!

This experiment is possible because dry-erase markers contain special ingredients: solvent and resin. A solvent is something that can dissolve into other things, especially water, while resin is a material that can't dissolve in water. When combined, the solvent prevents the drawing from sticking to the plate, but the resin prevents the drawing from dissolving in the water, which is why the drawing begins to float and move when water is poured onto it!

Be careful!

This is not a very dangerous experiment, but make sure to...

Handle the plate with care! If it breaks, make sure you stay away and let your parent clean it up.
Clean up any water you spill on the floor right away. Water on the floor might cause someone to slip.
If you get Expo Marker on your hand, make sure to wash them and not put your hands in your mouth!

Citations

Buddies, S. (2018, November 15). Make your drawings float! Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/make-your-drawings-float/

Dry erase. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2021, from https://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/dry-eras