🧪Water vs Alcohol Paper Chromatography- A Science Experiment with Mr. Pauller

Summary

In this video, Mr. Paul revisits a chromatography experiment from a previous video, addressing viewer questions about using permanent markers. He runs tests with wet erase markers in water and isopropyl alcohol, and compares them to permanent markers. The wet erase ink moves in water and alcohol, while permanent marker ink only moves in alcohol. The video explains the concept of polarity and capillary action, demonstrating why 'like dissolves like' in solvents. Water's high polarity and isopropyl alcohol's moderate polarity help illustrate the experiment's outcomes.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video demonstrates a chromatography experiment with different markers and solvents.
• 🧪 The experiment involves testing a water-soluble wet erase marker and a permanent marker using water and isopropyl alcohol as solvents.
• 💧 In water, the wet erase marker's ink moves almost immediately, while the permanent marker's ink doesn't move at all.
• 🍶 Both inks move in isopropyl alcohol, though not as much as the wet erase marker's ink in water.
• 🧲 Water is a highly polar molecule due to the difference in electronegativity between hydrogen and oxygen.
• 🔬 Isopropyl alcohol is somewhat polar due to its oxygen atom, but the rest of the molecule is non-polar.
• 🌡 Capillary action causes both water and alcohol to move through the paper, with greater action seen in water due to its higher polarity.
• 💡 The phrase 'like dissolves like' is illustrated: polar pigments in the wet erase marker dissolve in polar solvents like water and alcohol, while non-polar pigments in the permanent marker only dissolve in the somewhat non-polar alcohol.
• 🖊 The permanent marker's ink does not dissolve in water because it is non-polar, but it dissolves in isopropyl alcohol due to the alcohol's semi-polar nature.
• 🙏 The presenter invites viewers to ask questions or leave comments about the experiment, encouraging engagement.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the experiment described in the video?

The purpose of the experiment was to see if a paper chromatography experiment could be conducted using a permanent marker and to compare the results with those of a water-soluble wet erase marker using different solvents.

What solvents were used in the experiment?

The solvents used in the experiment were water and isopropyl alcohol.

How did the ink from the wet erase marker behave in the water?

The ink from the wet erase marker started to move almost right away when placed in water, indicating that it dissolved well in the solvent.

Did the ink from the permanent marker move in the water?

No, the ink from the permanent marker did not move at all when placed in the water, indicating that it did not dissolve in the solvent.

How did the inks behave when placed in isopropyl alcohol?

Both the wet erase marker and the permanent marker inks moved when placed in isopropyl alcohol, although they did not move as much as the wet erase marker ink did in water.

What does the term 'polar molecule' mean, as described in the video?

A polar molecule has a distribution of electric charge that leads to one end being slightly positive and the other end slightly negative due to differences in electronegativity between the atoms in the molecule.

Why is water considered a polar molecule?

Water is considered a polar molecule because of the difference in electronegativity between hydrogen and oxygen, which causes an uneven sharing of electrons.

Why does the saying 'like dissolves like' apply to this experiment?

The saying 'like dissolves like' applies because polar solvents like water dissolve polar substances, while nonpolar substances like the pigments in the permanent marker dissolve in solvents that are somewhat nonpolar, like isopropyl alcohol.

What is capillary action, and how did it affect the experiment?

Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow through narrow spaces without the assistance of external forces. In the experiment, it caused water and alcohol to move up through the paper, with water showing greater capillary action due to its higher polarity.

What conclusion can be drawn about the solubility of permanent marker ink in water and alcohol?

The conclusion is that permanent marker ink does not dissolve in water because it is nonpolar, but it does dissolve in isopropyl alcohol, which has both polar and nonpolar properties.