A project brought to you by Karolina, Hailey and Patryk

Lab Report for Pretty Pink Disappearing Ink 

Research: The three of us researched cool Science experiments that we could record and perform from YouTube and the Internet. We found a few cool experiments involving fire and burning but ultimately Karolina found an experiment where we could use acids and bases to reveal indicators on a cloth surface (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aY7G8Z0A0s) Original idea was to mimic a toy that was produced “Barbie Hollywood Hair” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7szyfaxgEQ)  that had hairspray that would turn the hair pink. This provoked interest in doing this experiment.   Yet in the end we found it more suiting to use two generally older kids interested in playing with a science kit that they didn’t know how to use to it could be explained by a narrator. It’s meant to be watched as a science video, to teach the viewers a little about bases, acids and indicators. Meant to evoke interest in these subjects.

Procedure: Hailey and Patryk are alone while their parents are out of the house. The two are bored and so they decide to use their experiment kit that received from their Uncle and test it out on a white shirt. The chemicals inside of the kit are Phenolphthalein (and indicator that is colourless at first but turns pink with a Base that has a pH of over 8.2), Sodium Hydroxide (Solution with a pH of 13) and 70% Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol (Solution with a pH of 5.5). The Phenolphthalein is first added into the white shirt just by adding a few drops of it. Next sodium hydroxide was added, over the same area and because it has a high enough pH level, it turns the phenolphthalein pink. Following that, we convert the Phenolphthalein back to colourless by adding the alcohol (weak acid) and when the shirt dries the carbon dioxide reacts with sodium hydroxide and neutralizes it. You see sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide reacts to produce sodium carbonate and water (neutralization). Once the sodium hydroxide is neutralized, the weak acidity of the alcohol is enough to change the indicator to colourless. Leaving the shirt white again.

Chemical Reaction: Sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide reacts to produce sodium carbonate and water (neutralization). The acidity of the alcohol takes over the neutralized sodium carbonate and water and changes the indicator pink. (This reaction is also explained in the “Procedure”)

Materials:

• Safety Goggles
• A few drops of Phenolphthalein
• 70% Ethyl rubbing alcohol
• 3M Sodium Hydroxide
• White Shirt

Outcome:

The experiment worked. The Phenolphthalein turned pink when in contact with the Sodium Hydroxide and was really nice and bright. The Phenolphthalein did turn colourless again after adding the 70% rubbing alcohol and waiting for it to dry. No one got injured or was in any harm from this experiment and it all worked out well.

Conclusion: This project was considered magic because the viewers are meant to be introduced to the subjects of bases, acids and indicators. So therefore there would be close to no understanding of why a shirt all of a sudden would have a pink spot and furthermore continue to disappear and go back to its original state.