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Pandai Lab 1: Drawing Float Experiment

Have you ever wished your drawings would come alive or any drawing objects could move around? What sounds impossible actually is not! So let’s get ready to start the experiment!

On 15 October 2020, Thursday, we make a drawing move around by letting it float on water. It was the first experiment for the Pandai Lab Show. The Pandai Lab Show was started on Live Facebook Pandai Official at 2pm. It was fun. 

Here our details experiment:

Date: 15 October 2020
Title: Drawing Float Experiment

Materials: Dry erase markers, plate, glass, water

Procedures:
1. Choose one color of your dry erase markers and make a drawing on your first plate such as a stick figure, a heart, or any shapes.

2. Let it dry for a couple of seconds and then pour just enough water in glass onto your plate to cover the drawing

3. Wait and observe the drawings float on water. 

What makes this possible and happened?

These markers are usually used to write on white boards or glass surfaces and can easily be erased to make space for more writing or drawing. When you make your drawing on the surface of a smooth plate or tray, the solvent, or alcohol, that dissolves the ink ingredients will evaporate. This leaves the color pigment and polymer behind on the surface. This is because the acrylic polymer resin in the permanent marker makes it stick to the surface, while the oily silicone polymer in the dry erase marker prevents it from sticking. The permanent marker drawing should have remained stuck to the plate. Again, this difference is due to the special polymer in the dry erase marker ink. As this ingredient prevents the ink from attaching to the plate, the water can slip underneath, and as the ink is lighter than water, it can float. 

You can check the reference on this link for more details: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/floating-drawing#instructions

Check out this video Live Pandai Lab 1 for you:

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