floating plate experiment

November 15, 2018

Make Your Drawings Float!

An animating science project from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies & Svenja Lohner

Draw away! Use a little chemistry to make your own moving sketches. 

George Retseck

Key concepts Chemistry Polymer Solvents Material science

Introduction Have you ever wished your drawings would come alive and the stick figures or objects on your paper could move around? It’s not as impossible as it sounds! In this activity you will make your drawing move around by letting it float on water. What makes this possible is the interesting chemistry of dry-erase markers. These markers are usually used to write on whiteboards or glass surfaces and can easily be erased. It turns out they are also perfect for doing science!

Background You might have a whiteboard in your school classroom. To draw on this surface, your teacher probably uses a whiteboard pen or dry-erase marker. The writing from these markers can easily be erased from the whiteboard without leaving any marks.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

This is possible because dry-erase markers contain special ingredients. They include a solvent, which is usually some kind of alcohol. This is used to dissolve the color pigments that determine the marker’s color. In addition, a resin or polymer is added, which is the key to making the ink erasable. In a dry-erase marker the resin is an oily silicone polymer, which acts as a “release agent.” This makes the ink of the marker very slippery and prevents it from sticking to the whiteboard’s surface. This is why the ink can easily be wiped off from a very smooth nonporous surface such as a whiteboard or glass.

You might know dry-erase markers can stain other surfaces such as clothes permanently. This is because fabric doesn’t have a smooth surface, so the ink can soak into its pores—staining them forever! In real permanent markers the resin used is an acrylic polymer that functions as a “binding agent” and makes the ink stick to the surface. Only the type of polymer differentiates a permanent marker from an erasable marker. Find out how this difference affects how your drawings float in in this activity!

Two shallow trays or plates with smooth surfaces that you have permission to draw on with markers

Dry-erase markers (different colors)

Permanent marker

Rubbing alcohol

Paper towels

Preparation

Find a work area that can tolerate water spills.

Fill your cup with room-temperature water and set it next to your trays or plates.

Choose one color of your dry-erase markers and make a drawing on your first plate such as a stick figure, a heart or word. Does it look like the ink is sticking to the surface of your plate?

Let it dry for a couple of seconds and then use a dry finger to wipe across your drawing. Does your finger wipe off the drawing, or can you still see it afterward?

If the drawing came off, make a new drawing. Otherwise, keep the old one. Then pour just enough water onto your plate to cover the drawing. Wait and observe. If nothing happens, shake the plate a little bit. What happens to the ink after a while? Does your drawing begin to float and come to life?

Next use a permanent marker to make a drawing on the second plate. Do you see a difference from how the dry-erase marker looked on the surface?

Let it dry for a couple of seconds and use a dry finger to wipe across your drawing. Does your drawing disappear once you wipe it with your finger? Can you explain why or why not?

If the drawing came off, make a new drawing. Otherwise keep the old one. Then pour some water on your plate to cover the drawing. Wait and observe. What happens to the drawing this time? Does it float? How are your results different from the previous ones?

Extra: Make drawings with different colors of dry-erase marker. Do all of them behave the same way or are they different? Which color floats best?

Extra: What happens if you pour rubbing alcohol on top of your drawing instead of water? Does your drawing still float? Do dry-erase and permanent markers give you the same result? Why or why not?

Extra: Can you erase your floating drawing? Try to pick up your drawing from the water's surface with your fingers. What happens to it when you pull it out of the water? What do you think the material you now have in your hand is made of?

Observations and results Did you get your drawings to float? You should have—but only when using the dry-erase marker. 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. With the permanent and dry-erase markers, it actually looks like the color is sticking. When you wipe across your drawing with your finger, however, only the drawing that you made with the dry-erase marker will disappear. This is because the oily silicone polymer in the dry-erase marker prevents it from sticking whereas the acrylic polymer resin in the permanent marker makes it stick to the surface.

The fun starts when you pour water on your drawing. You should have observed your dry-erase marker drawing magically detached from the plate and rose to the water's surface. There, it could float and move as if it were alive! The permanent marker drawing should have remained stuck to the plate. This difference is due to the special polymer in the dry-erase marker ink—because this ingredient prevents the ink from attaching to the plate, and the water can slip underneath. And because the ink is lighter than water it can float. When you poured rubbing alcohol on your drawings, however, you should have seen them both slowly dissolve. This is because alcohol is used as the solvent in both markers.

Cleanup Remove all remaining drawings from your plates by rubbing them with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. Then rinse them with warm water and soap before reusing them.

More to explore Make Your Own Markers , from Science Buddies Chromatography: Be a Color Detective , from Scientific American Soluble Science: Making Tie-Dye T-Shirts with Permanent Markers , from Scientific American Science Activity for All Ages! , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Happy Hooligans

Crafts and Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers to Tweens

Dry Erase and Water “Floating Ink” Experiment

Last updated on February 18, 2021

• Facebook 233
• Pinterest 45.7K

If you’re looking for cool things to do with dry erase markers, you have to check out this floating ink experiment ! It’s a fun and easy science activity to do with kids and a great party trick that will “wow” the grown-ups too. 

I have another very cool dry erase activity for your kids to try. It’s a dry erase and water trick that’s going to blow your kids’ minds! We’ve used the Dry Erase Markers with Ink Indicators that the good folks at  EXPO sent us, and we’ve made drawings that float on water!

I didn’t even know that dry erase ink could float until I saw the dry erase stick-man trick  (more on that in a bit) making its way around the web a few months back.

That trick looked so awesome that we were inspired to try it ourselves but instead of making floating stick-men, we made floating hearts.

Check out this video that I shot for you: How fun is that?!!

The kids were fascinated! They did the experiment over and over again, testing different colours of ink and different writing surfaces. This is definitely a science activity that kids AND adults will love.

You may also love these 5 dry erase activities that don’t require a white board.

To do the Dry Erase and Water Experiment, you’ll need:

• EXPO Dry Erase Markers  (affiliate link)
• dinner plate or baking dish
• jug of water (we also experimented with medicine droppers)
• Towel or vinyl table cloth to protect your work surface

A note about our drawing surface:

We experimented with a few different surfaces for this activity. I’ve heard you can use any glass surface or even a laminate table top, but we wanted to contain our water, so we tried the experiment with 3 types of plates:

• a white ceramic quiche dish
• a white dinner plate
• white disposable plastic plates

How to Make Dry Erase Ink Float

Test your markers to make sure the ink is flowing well.

Draw shapes, stick figures or letters on your plate or baking dish.

Pour water into the dish close to the edges of your drawings. Within seconds, you’ll see the dry erase ink reacting with the water, and the edges of your drawings will begin to lift. As you add more water, the ink will lift away from the bottom of the dish and float to the surface of the water. Note : Some of your drawings may only lift a little, and some might not at all. Our results were different every time.

Experiment again and again

We had a great time doing the experiment over and over again, pouring out the water, drying the dish, and trying new shapes and colours to see what would happen.

Make observations

It was fun to make observations to try and determine what factors made the experiment work best. Have your kids do the same. Here are some questions to ask your kids to think about when doing the dry erase and water experiment:

1. Is there a colour of ink that works best? 

Is it the colour of the ink? Does it depend how thick the layer of ink is? See if your kids can nail down what works best for them.

We found that a thicker layer of ink worked best, and the colours we used had varying results. We had the least success with the black ink. Sometimes the red ink floated quickly, and other times, like in the video above, the red wouldn’t come away from the plate at all. Was this due to how hard we pressed? How much ink we used? Which colours work best for you?

2. Which drawing surface works best?

The disposable plastic plates didn’t work as well as our dinner plate, and the quiche dish worked best of all. For some reason, our drawings seemed to stick to the dinner plate more than the quiche dish. The quiche dish was ideal too because of the rim. We could pour quite a bit of water into it and not have to worry about spills.

3. Do solid shapes float better than stick figures or letters? 

Experiment with different types of drawings – letters, pictures, outlines, solid shapes etc. to see which ones float best.

4. Can you pick up your floating shapes!

What’s really cool is that we were able to pick up our floating shapes with our fingers. When we did, they completely deflated and looked like a little strand of rubber, but when we gently placed them back on the surface of the water and jiggled them a little, they expanded back into their original shape and floated again.

5. Does the temperature of the water make a difference?

Try your experiment with hot, cold and room temperature water and observe your results.

And have fun trying the experiment over and over again!

Why DOES dry erase ink float?

If you’d like to know the science behind the dry erase and water experiment, this dry erase stick-man article explains how dry erase ink floats.

Learn more about  EXPO Dry Erase Markers with Ink Indicator here . #EXPOTeacherWin

This post was sponsored by EXPO Markers. The ideas and opinions are my own.

Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!

25+ Preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, PLUS 50 links to activities not featured in the book.

Click here to download your copy today

Follow the Hooligans on Facebook !

for FREE crafts, 

activities & recipes!

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.

Reader Interactions

Brenda Penton

September 19, 2017 at 6:17 am

I use them to write reminders on the bathroom mirror. We also use them on the patio door to play around. One person will draw something and a few hours or days later someone else will add to it until we have a whole scene, then we start again.

September 19, 2017 at 10:32 am

Very cool! Certainly something to do at home now that the rainy season is here!

September 19, 2017 at 2:08 pm

Looks like a great experiment!

September 19, 2017 at 3:27 pm

We have a busy household. My daughter and I use dry erase markers to leave messages on her mirror. This helps us remember what’s happening and when.

happyhooligans

September 20, 2017 at 10:04 pm

I love that idea!

September 19, 2017 at 4:25 pm

try lifting out with very porous paper or such … that might wor.

September 19, 2017 at 5:00 pm

So cool!! My kindergartener loves expo markers, this will be a fun experiment for her, thanks!

I have one of thoe giant whiteboards on my fridge; this would be great!

Jessica Gipson

September 19, 2017 at 5:23 pm

I use it in our classroom to demostrate class activity on the white board.

September 19, 2017 at 8:02 pm

I have used dry erase markers on different surfaces over the years. My favorite surface is a small porcelain sign(5X7) that I write on and then put on a stand. I sometimes write the menu or a greetings of a holiday! Such fun!!!

Jessica Mcfarlin

September 19, 2017 at 9:08 pm

I Love using it in the playroom/den on the dry erase board.

September 19, 2017 at 9:14 pm

making all kinds of art. i like these!

Kim Crichton-Struthers

September 19, 2017 at 9:31 pm

We like to use dry erase markers on the fridge.

September 19, 2017 at 10:42 pm

Just the traditional way here- we use it on the whiteboard to draw pictures, fill out the monthly calendar and sometimes list chores.

September 19, 2017 at 10:53 pm

Dry erase markers have so many uses, but I can’t wait to try these experiments.

Velma Garcia

September 19, 2017 at 11:06 pm

I can’t wait to try these experiments with my 3-year-old grandson!

Linda Madden

September 19, 2017 at 11:56 pm

I use them in a walk in my kitchen to show which chore each of my children need to complete before I get home from work. It works out great!

September 20, 2017 at 10:03 pm

September 20, 2017 at 1:49 am

These look like so much fun!!

September 20, 2017 at 2:46 am

I love using dry erase markers to keep our family calendar in order. It’s colour coordinated and the dry erase makes it so easy to make changes.

September 20, 2017 at 7:27 am

Why not send sets of these to the teachers who were in hurricanes in tx and Florida as supporting them in time of loss and help them rebuild their classrooms just thought much love from tx

September 20, 2017 at 10:02 pm

I think that’s a wonderful idea! I’m hopeful that EXPO will make a corporate contribution to relief efforts.

Shelley Brewer

September 20, 2017 at 9:33 am

What a cool project! Definitely need to try this.

September 20, 2017 at 10:06 am

We use dry erase markers to help with our music lessons and also to practice our multiplication tables. We sometimes use them to leave messages for each other as a way of encouraging each other to always try our best. Sometimes I write chores on the white board so that once the boys get home from school, they know what is expected of them that day. Much easier than walking around behind them and constantly reminding them :-).

Amanda Wilcox

September 20, 2017 at 11:39 am

I love this! I can’t wait to try it with my daughter. Regularly we keep a dry erase calendar in our kitchen which I religiously update to keep us on track. My daughter also has her own collection of fun colored dry erase markers and a board in the garage which she draws on while spending time with daddy in the garage…and there’s always hangman too!

Cari Herrera

September 20, 2017 at 11:40 am

We love using expos to decorate our windows and tables. It comes right off with water! Can’t wait to try this. Thank you.

September 20, 2017 at 9:57 pm

So fun! We played Hangman on our glass sliding door!

September 20, 2017 at 12:48 pm

This is so cool!!

Sue Meyerson

September 20, 2017 at 2:28 pm

I am a pediatric occupational therapist so I use a lot of dry erase markers to work on handwriting, pencil grasp, hand and finger strength, etc. I use dry erase alphabet and number books, or I put worksheets into a plastic sleeve. We work on hand, finger and arm strength when bunching up a paper towel and pressing hard to erase.

sharon drapela

September 20, 2017 at 7:22 pm

We use them for directed drawings and graphing/voting

September 20, 2017 at 9:05 pm

I am boring…I just use them on dry erase boards and laminated pages.

September 20, 2017 at 9:55 pm

Hey, nothing boring about that!

September 20, 2017 at 9:18 pm

I use my Expo markers everyday to update the parents of my students on my whiteboard

Kids and moms

September 21, 2017 at 12:07 am

These colors so so cute and bright, we use for art and craft. hehe. When free, please visit my youtube channle- cute art ideas for kids and moms 🙂

September 21, 2017 at 11:19 am

We do homework every night with a dry erase board. It helps my daughter to be able to erase if she had the wrong thing and we can write it a bit bigger than on a sheet of paper and use fun colors to make the homework experience a bit more enjoyable….Love our Expo Markers!!!!

September 21, 2017 at 2:29 pm

That’s a great idea, Kimberly!

September 22, 2017 at 9:07 am

I use dry erase markers during OT with my students. They love writing letters and erasing them as they trace with their fingers. Or, we play games – hangman, tic-tac-toe, etc. Doesn’t waste paper and the kid shave fun!

Donna VanHook

September 23, 2017 at 11:55 am

This will be great in my science class!

September 24, 2017 at 3:15 am

I like to use dry erase markers during presentations in class.

Kerrie Gregory

September 24, 2017 at 3:16 pm

My favorite way to use dry erase markers in the classroom is having my students use them to trace over laminated cards or fill in the answers on the laminated cards

October 1, 2017 at 8:55 am

Wow, this is a seriously cool activity that I know my kids would get a kick out of. I can’t wait to do this with them. Thanks so much for sharing!

January 31, 2019 at 2:44 pm

This looks great. Will be fun to try. Thanks.

April 4, 2019 at 4:07 pm

It was so much fun to do with the kids and they were so amazed they wanted me to do it over and over again adventualy I ran out o fink in my expo markers so we had to stop doing but we did dinosaurs hotdogs and other fun kid things like a xbox controller a baseball bat but thank you some much for sharing it my kids had a blast

Christian Shebchuk

May 18, 2020 at 8:55 am

Hello! I just tried this and I had a great time thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Join My Private Support Network!

Our Most Popular Posts

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

Floating Dry Erase Marker Experiment

Is it magic or is it science? Either way, this floating drawing experiment will surely impress! Create a dry erase drawing and watch it float in water. Learn about what floats in water with a do-able science activity for home or in the classroom. It could even be your next party trick!

DRY ERASE MARKER EXPERIMENT

Can you make your dry erase drawing float? See our floating drawing tips at the end! Also, check out our Halloween ghostly floating drawings !

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE PRINTABLE FLOATING INK PROJECT!

• Expo dry erase markers
• Dinner plate

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Make sure the ink flows well in your markers.

STEP 2: Draw simple dry erase drawings all over your plate.

STEP 3: Slowly pour water into the plate near the edges of your drawings. The drawings will begin to float when the water touches them. If they do not lift completely, tilt the plate slightly.

To expand the activity, touch a piece of paper or cotton swab to the floating shapes to see what happens when they touch a dry surface. What do you observe?

TIPS FOR MAKING A FLOATING DRAWING

• Do not use too much water. If the drawing doesn’t lift, try pouring off the water and pouring less.
• Use new dry erase markers.
• Always use a completely dry plate.
• A ceramic plate with an enamel glaze was used in this experiment. Paper plates will not work. This was not tested on glass or plastic (but that would be a fun variation to try to make the experience more scientific!)
• Smaller shapes work best. Larger designs fall apart when they begin to float.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

This dry-erase marker and water actually demonstrate the physical properties of dry-erase ink and water! Explore chemistry with this magical little demonstration!

It’s all because of the type of ink in the marker, which doesn’t dissolve in water, unlike the washable markers in our coffee filter flower STEAM project or marker chromatography experiment !

When you draw with the dry-erase markers, it looks like the color is sticking to the plate. But in fact, an oily silicone polymer in the dry-erase marker prevents it from sticking to your plate.

The water can then slip underneath, and because the ink is not as dense as the water the drawing will float.

MORE FUN FLOATING SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS TO TRY

Make the M of an M&M candy float with our  floating M experiment .

Test what sinks or floats with common household items.

How do sharks float? Try this buoyancy activity.

Make a tin foil boat and see how many floating pennies you can have.

Will an egg float or sink in salty water? This salt water density experiment  is a fun variation of the classic sink or float experiment. 

This simple  water density experiment  with sugar is an amazing science experiment for kids!

Make a density tower with layers of different liquids.

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

How To Make Floating Drawing in Just 3 Steps!-Fun Steam Activity for Kids

You must have seen the viral video of a stick figure doodle floating on water but do you know the cool science behind this trick? Wanna learn to make your Drawing float ?

Create a “Floating Drawing” with kids. This easy fun STEAM activity for kids takes only a few minutes. Every kid wishes that their drawing came alive and could move around. This fun STEAMactivity is perfect for kids and it includes both science and art. It is fun to do as it sounds!

Let’s turn curiosity into a fun STEAMexperiment.

Time to explore some chemistry with a simple magic marker trick

Supply you’ll need to make your Floating Drawing, easy STEAM activity:

•         A shallow utensil like a bowl or a plate which has a smooth surface
•         Dry-erase markers/ whiteboard pen
•         Room-temperature water Book Your Free Coding Trail Class Now!  

What you’ll learn from Floating Drawing DIY science fun STEAM activities for kids?

Kids will learn about the chemistry of dry-erase markers.

Step by Step Instructions- How to make Floating Drawing on water with a magic marker

Step 1-  make your drawing on a plate using a whiteboard marker..

STEP 2- Let it dry for a minute and then try to erase your drawing with a dry finger.

Did drawing come off, step 3-  if yes, repeat the above steps otherwise continue with further steps. after the drawing has dry, pour some water slowly onto the edge of the drawing and carefully move the plate around..

Book Your Free Coding Trail Class Now!  

What is happening in this drawing float activity?

Does your drawing come off the plate and start to float on the water? Does it look like your drawing just came alive?

If yes, parents must be hearing sounds like “whoooo” and “woowww” coming out of their kids’ mouth.

Does your kid find this DIY science STEAM activity amazing?

Create Amazing and fun animations with this STEAM activity by blowing at your drawing with a straw or move drawing around by fingers.  

OBSERVATION OF MAKE YOUR DRAWING FLOAT STEAM EXPERIMENT

Why does the dry-erase marker float in water?

Dry erase marker is made of oily silicone polymer substance which prevents the ink from sticking securely on the shine or the smooth surface of the plate. It is also insoluble which means it can’t dissolve in liquids and is less dense compared to water’s density. So when the water is poured, water molecules slip under the surface of the dry erase marker drawing and not-so-magically lift up the drawing onto the water surface slowly.

Explore More! – Extra observations for kids to find out with this STEAM trick

Observe new results with different dry-erase mark colors. Which color drawing floats the best?

Does this trick work with permanent markers?  Why and why not?

What happens if you try to pick up the floating drawing from the water with your fingers?

Solid shape , stick figures, or words which float the best?

Do different water temperatures give the same result? Also, try the STEAM experiment with hot and cold water.

CLEANING TIP!

Remove the stains of the dry-erase markers by wiping the plate with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol.

Additional fun STEAM Activities for kids to try at home

• Bed of nail experiment
• How to stop the pop of a balloon with fire?

The science experiment is aimed to promote STEAM learning so that children can develop key skills such as creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication at early ages. 

Read Other Blogs

Setting up composite skill labs in cbse schools: a step towards practical skill education.

5 Exciting Career Opportunities for Coders to Explore: Unlocking the Future of Coding Careers

Understanding Data Structures in Python: Lists, Tuples, and Dictionaries

Goglobalways.

GoGlobalWays  is an education initiative which endeavors to be a second home to kids.We have pioneered a unique approach to teaching by conducting our online programs LIVE and Elevating School Students with Our School Innovation Program.

Quick Links

• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Condition

Explore More

• Call Us : +91 8882330300
• Email: [email protected]

Scratch 2D Game | VR Coding | AI & Machine Learning | Python with Data Science |Electronics, Robotics  & IOT |  Web Development | APP Inventor | 3D Design,Game & Robotics

Download PictoBlox

Copyright 2020 – GoGlobalWays. All rights reserved

• Our Courses
• For Schools

Floating Static Bands

Using a little static electricity and some practice, you'll cause objects to float in midair.

Print this Experiment

By doing this research, you could end up in the company of people like Ben Franklin, James Watt, Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. Then there are the people behind LEDs, button batteries, and neodymium magnets who started out as innocently curious about electricity as you are now. You’re headed for amazing discoveries involving both stationary and moving electrons.

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Lightweight, plastic grocery bag, pvc pipe, 1" (25 mm) diameter, 3' (1 m) long, a piece of fur or wool cloth, pencil (or dowel), tape, scissors, let's try it.

Securely tape the wooden dowel (or pencil) to an end of the PVC pipe. The pencil should extend beyond the pipe by about 5″ (127 mm).

NOTE: It’s important to keep the pipe and the dowel electrically separate. Using a 1-inch stopper in the end of the pipe to hold the dowel is ideal but securely taping the dowel to the end of the pipe should be fine, too.

First, cut the handles off of the bag. Next, cut a ring of plastic from around the opening of the bag that’s about 1″ (25 mm) wide. You need a lightweight, continuous band for this activity.

Place the band in the the fur and rub the fur vigorously all over it to build up a static (not moving) charge in the band. You may hear crackling as the charge builds. Place the “charged” band on the table.

Snugly hold the the same fur against the PVC pipe  and vigorously rub the fur along the pipe’s length to build up a matching static charge. You may hear crackling again.

This step is a little tricky and may take some practice. Don’t give up because you’ll be amazed at what happens! Hold the pipe by its non-pencil end and use the tip of the pencil to lift the band. With a gentle flick, toss the band straight up into the air. Then, immediately position the pipe underneath the band at the height of the band’s rise to cause the band to mysteriously float in the air. You can even walk around the room and the band stays suspended in midair above your “magic wand” — well, OK, above the charged pipe, anyway.

How Does It Work

The word “static” means stationary, little or no change, or not moving, e.g. “A static display doesn’t move.” So, static electricity is an electrical charge that’s not moving; it invisibly builds up in one place such as on the surfaces of the band or on the PVC pipe. You “see” it by what it does to the objects that hold it or come near it.

Static electricity is governed by charges on particles: they’re either positive protons (+) or negative electrons (–). Similar charges (+ and +) or (– and –) repel or push away from each other. Opposite charges (+ and –) attract or pull toward each other. With that little bit of information, you can probably explain what you saw happening to the band.

Rubbing the fur against the band as well as the PVC pipe transfers a negative charge to both objects. The band floats above the pipe because the increased negative charge in both objects causes them to repel each other. If you really want to impress someone, just tell them that it’s a demonstration of “electrostatic propulsion and the repulsion of like charge.” Wow – that should do it.

Take It Further

• When you do this next activity, make sure your hair has been washed and is completely dry. It helps if there’s low humidity (air moisture), too. Blow up a 10″ (25 cm) balloon and tie it off. (Be sure to test other sizes and types of balloons, also.) In front of a mirror, rub one side of the balloon briskly and firmly all over your clean, dry hair several times. The charge piles up on the side of the balloon near your hair. Hold it away from your head and look for a hair raising result! Sometimes you can press the now charged balloon onto the wall and the attractive charge holds it in place. From what you know about static charges, you can likely explain what’s happening. Use a clean, dry comb in your hair instead of a balloon and see if you can generate a charge. If you hear popping and snaps, you did it! When you rub a balloon on dry hair, the balloon picks up electrons, making it negatively charged and leaving the hair positively charged. Since the hairs have the same charge, they want to get away from each other so you see them spreading out. But because opposite charges attract, bringing the balloon near the hair causes the hairs to cling to it.
• Charge a balloon (as you just did) and hold it close to a ping pong ball sitting on a table. The ball will start to move toward the balloon. Keep the balloon ahead of the ball and pull the ball over the table top using only attractive electrical charges.
• Charge a balloon and then blow soap bubbles. Bring the balloon close to the bubbles and they move rapidly toward the balloon. Tease the bubbles around the room with the balloon.
• This may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done! Rinse a 1-liter bottle and its cap and let both dry completely inside and out. Fill the bottle with a quarter cup of Styrofoam beads, 1/8″ (3 mm) diameter, and seal the bottle with a cap. NOTE : The beads will  not cooperate and will go everywhere but into the bottle. When more than a few have made it, cap the bottle. Rub the bottle on your head (or better yet, your friend’s head) or on a wool sweater. Observe the effects of static electricity on the beads. Simply run your hand over the plastic bottle and build up a static charge. Watch the static beads inside jump from side to side to stay away from your finger. Set the bottle upside down on a table and bring a finger close to but not touching it. How do the beads react to your finger even though you’re not touching them? You could call them “scaredy beads” because they move quickly away from your finger but, c’mon, they’re only little white beads! The beads clearly had the same charge as your finger and were repelled by it. Some beads in the group had the opposite charge as your finger and were attracted by it. That’s why other beads move out of their way: they share the same charge. Also, the beads clinging to the plastic had the opposite charge from the plastic. That’s why they stuck to it.
• What about tiny pieces of paper confetti? Use the scissors to make some and then bring a charged balloon near them. The paper isn’t charged so you might expect nothing to happen. But, the paper is attracted to the balloon. The negative charge on the balloon repels the electrons in molecules of the paper. This makes them (on average) move away from the balloon’s charge which enhances the positive charges in the paper. Because electrical forces decrease in strength with distance, the attraction between opposite charges is stronger than the repulsion between similar charges. This leads to an overall attraction. The paper is said to have an induced charge . This also applies to a charged balloon sticking to a wall and a charged balloon attracting other “uncharged” objects.

Science Fair Connection

A Floating Static Band is a pretty cool activity but it’s not a science fair project. You create a science fair project by identifying and testing variables. A variable is something that might change the outcome. Consider some of the variable options you might test and write up for a science fair project.

• You know what happens when you rub fur or wool on the PVC pipe. Use a different material but keep everything else the same. How does it change the results. Test cotton, silk, polyester, or even a stuffed animal.
• Change the material used in the floating object. A thin packing foam might work so redo the test using paper, aluminum foil, wax paper, plastic wrap, a sticky note, poster board, newspaper, etc.
• Since you’ve seen what happens to beads in a plastic bottle when they are exposed to a static charge, use a glass bottle instead. What results do you get when you rub the glass bottle on your hair or on a wool sweater?

These are just a few ideas and you certainly aren’t limited to them! Come up with your own variable to test. Remember, you can change only one  variable for each test while making sure that all the other factors in your test remain the same.

Special Thanks

This activity was developed by Steve’s good friend and fellow science teacher, Bruce Yeany. He uses it to teach “electrostatic propulsion and the repulsion of like charge” to his very lucky students.

Related Experiments

Electric Cornstarch

You can do some pretty amazing things with non-Newtonian fluids, and the same can be said of static electricity. When you combine the two, you […]

Human Conductor of Electricity

Ordinary people use standard electricity from the wall to powera light. Oh, but not you! Why use normal electricity from the walloutlet when you can […]

Electric Pickle

**As Seen on The Ellen DeGeneres Show** You’ve probably seen the “Electric Pickle” trick in a science class… but did you ever stop to think […]

World's Simplest Motor - Spinning Wire

Electric motors are devices that turn electrical energy into motion. They are remarkable machines that come in all sizes and do all kinds of work […]

World's Simplest Motor Version 2

Browse more experiments by concept:.

• February 15, 2020

Just a heads up-This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something through one of my links-you won't pay a penny more-but I'll make a small commission. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Purposeful play, floating hearts science experiment, simple science for kids.

The Floating Hearts Science Experiment is a fun, hands-on STEM activity for kids. This Valentine’s Day science experiment never gets old and is a simple way for kids to explore science at home. This heart shaped activity is perfect for Preschool, Kindergarten and Elementary aged kids. 

Continue reading for the full step by step instructions.

dry erase markers

room temp water

a glass/smooth plate

Explores science concepts

Experiments with cause and effect

Introduces new vocabulary words

Explores water properties

Hands on learning 

How to do the Dry Erase Floating Hearts Science Experiment

Step 1: write on plate with markers.

Write on a glass or smooth plate with a dry erase marker

Step 2: slowly add water

Slowly pour room temperature water onto the side of the plate.

Brand new dry erase markers work best

Dark colors seem to work better than lighter colors

Press lightly when you write and draw on the plate. If you press too hard the ink will have a hard time lifting

Be sure to add the water slowly from the side

Glass plates worked really with this experiment

What is the science behind the Dry Erase floating hearts experiment?

The ink in the dry erase markers is insoluble and has very little adhesive.

Because of this-the force of the water buoyancy easily pulls the ink up and off the plate causing the ink to float in the water. 

More Valentine's Day Activities!

Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Fizzy Heart Art

Heart Marbled Painting

Heart Salt Painting

Heart Animal Craft

Hello there! I'm Sarah Britton and I am so excited you stopped by! Join me as we explore simple yet effective ways to create purposeful play opportunities for your child.

Back to School 10 Frames

Sign up to our email squad and get your hands on this set of back to school 10 frame cards, this website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. learn more here..

Save Your Favorite Ideas

Dry Erase Marker Snowflakes

This simple dry erase marker snowflakes experiment is a lot of fun for kids to do in winter! You only need a blue dry erase marker, a bowl, spoon and water! Kids can learn how to make their drawings float with this simple experiment!

RELATED: Salt Painted Snowflakes

Dry Erase Marker Snowflakes Experiment

Have you ever wanted to make your drawings float? Well now you can!

Look how amazing this floating snowflake is!

What is the Science?

Dry erase markers contain an oily silicone polymer. This makes the ink easy to wipe off nonporous surfaces such as a whiteboard, glass, metal or ceramic. This polymer makes the ink slippery and prevents it from sticking to the whiteboard.

In contrast, a permanent marker has an acrylic polymer that makes the ink stick to the surface, instead of being slippery.

How Does it Work?

You can get your drawings to float with a dry erase marker. When you make your drawing on the spoon (or a plate) the solvent that dissolves the ink ingredients will evaporate. Then, the color pigment and polymer is left on the spoon. However, since it has an oily silicone polymer this prevents it from sticking to the spoon.

When you dip the spoon into the water, the water can slip underneath the drawing since the polymer prevents it from sticking to the spoon. Finally, since the ink is lighter than the water, it floats!

Make this a science experiment by testing the dry erase marker and a washable marker. Have kids make a hypothesis about which one they think will float and why.

Supplies Needed

Blue Dry Erase Marker – we tested the Ikea Brand and the EXPO brand. Make sure the marker says it is NOT washable. If it is a washable marker it will not work.

A round bowl or dish

Metal spoon

Water – we used regular tap water. It was cold water. We did not test with hot water.

Straw – to blow them around

Watch the Video Tutorial Here

How to make the dry erase snowflakes.

1.  Fill a bowl with water

2. Start by drawing your snowflake on the metal spoon with the dry erase marker.

Some tips (as this may take a few tries to get it to work!): 

• Draw thicker lines
• Make sure all of the lines are connected to each other
• You want to press down so that a lot of ink comes out (if it’s too light it might not be thick enough to hold together)

If you draw one and it falls apart before fully dipping into the water, just remove and try again!

3. Slowly dip the spoon into the water.

Slowly and carefully move the spoon into the water and let it lift off. This is kind of tricky to do and might take a few attempts to get 3 in the bowl.

If you have any that break as you are trying to get them into the water, just scoop them out and try again.

See tips above for drawing the snowflake.

Go slowly and try to shake it off gently so that it doesn’t break as you’re trying to get it into the water.

3. Now that you have your snowflakes floating, use a straw to lightly blow air onto them and get them to move around in the bowl!

Instead of snowflakes, what else can you draw and make float?

More Snowflake Activities

Try this salt painted snowflakes process art activity!

Create your own paper snowflakes with our free printable snowflake templates!

Related Ideas:

Cloud Dough

The BEST Playdough Recipe

50+ Christmas Crafts for Kids

Salt Dough Recipe

Share a comment.

We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cancel Reply

1 thought on “dry erase marker snowflakes”.

Love the science experiments for little ones!

Sign up for my FREE newsletter and get new ideas to your inbox!

Floating Dry Erase Marker Science Experiment

This floating dry erase marker  science activity  is incredibly fun! All you need are dry erase markers and water! Read on for instructions and tips. Your kids will have a blast with this science experiment!

This simple science experiment is a favorite for our kids. Your kids will love trying out different combinations of colors and drawings. It’s super easy to rinse out and then try a new variation.

You just need these 3 simple supplies – a bowl, water and dry erase markers.

*Note: This should be done with adult supervision at all times.

Setting Up the Floating Dry Erase Marker Science Activity

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

• Bowl or Dish with a flat bottom
• Dry Erase Marker

Instructions:

• Grab your bowl and draw a design or write letters on the bottom with your markers!

• Gently pour your water into the bowl. You can pour near the edge or in the center slowly and that will be enough to get the ink to lift up. If the marker doesn’t lift up, you’ll want to pour it closer to the ink to help force it up.
• Pour a small amount initially. Once you see the ink start to lift up, wait and the rest of the drawing or letter will lift up too.
• That’s it! Your kids will have fun moving the bowl around and watching the ink designs float around the water!

Video of Floating Dry Erase Marker Experiment

• Some colors worked better for us than others. This will be different for every pack. For our pack, the blue worked great. It lifted up no problem. Other colors, like red, stuck to the bottom more and took more force from the water to lift. Lighter colors like green and yellow would disintegrate with any force from the water. So experiment with different colors to find what works best for you.
• The less water you use initially, the better. We found using less water and waiting for the rest of the ink to lift up our shapes worked well. When we used more water the ink didn’t lift as well. Once the ink is floating feel free to add as much water as you like. Carefully though, as you don’t want the ink to break apart.
• Some designs worked better than others. Shapes with more lines like letters and stick figures worked great. Closed designs like a heart or circle had a harder time lifting from the bottom.
• Use new dry erase markers.

Floating Dry Erase Marker Variation

Another fun option to try this experiment is to use a spoon. In this version, simply fill the bowl with water and then draw your design on a metal spoon. Then dip the spoon in the water and the design will peel off and start floating!

The Science Behind this Floating Dry Erase Marker Experiment:

Dry erase markers contain an oily silicone polymer, which facilitates easy removal of the ink from nonporous surfaces like whiteboards or glass. This polymer imparts slipperiness to the ink, preventing it from adhering to the whiteboard. In contrast, permanent markers utilize an acrylic polymer that encourages ink adhesion to the surface.

When you draw with your dry-erase marker, the silicone polymer will prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your tray. The water can then slip underneath, and because the ink is lighter than water it will float.

I hope your kids have a great time with this fun floating dry erase marker science experiment!

Check out these other science experiments and activities for kids.

Your kids will really love watching the fun reactions in this  Fireworks in a Jar  experiment!

This rainbow  Walking Water Science Experiment  is one of our most popular experiments!

This fun color changing flowers experiment is always a hit!

• Earth Science
• Physics & Engineering
• Science Kits
• Microscopes
• Science Curriculum and Kits
• About Home Science Tools

Science Projects > Physics & Engineering Projects > Learn About Sinking & Floating Objects  

Learn About Sinking & Floating Objects

All objects, including liquids, have a mass-to-volume ratio known as density. Density is a measurement for how compact (close together) the molecules in the object are.

In the first sink or float experiment, you’ll predict the density of common household objects. In the second oil in water experiment, you’ll analyze the density of common liquids.

Floatable Objects Experiment

Sink or float.

You probably already know that some things will float in water and some will not. Do you know why that is? Sometimes the best way to find out if something will sink or float is just to try it—and that is exactly what you’ll do in this “floatable objects” experiment! Gather up some objects from around your house to test their sinking or floating abilities. Make sure all of the items you pick can get wet!

What You Need:

• a large container of water (or fill up a sink or bathtub)
• lots of small objects of different weights and materials (plastic, metal, wood, foil, Styrofoam)
• a few larger objects
• HST worksheet

What You Do:

1. Look at the objects you collected. Draw a picture of each one in the boxes on the left side of the worksheet.

2. Make a prediction about each object – do you think it will sink or float in the tub of water? (To make a prediction means to say what you think will happen.) Mark your prediction on the worksheet for each item (circle float or sink).

3. Drop the objects into the water one at a time. Watch what happens to each one. Did you predict correctly? Circle “float” or “sink” next to each object on the sheet to show the results of your experiment.

What Happened:

Even though some of your items seemed very light (things like a paperclip or a button), they still sank in the water. Some objects that might have seemed sort of heavy (like a wooden block) probably floated.

That is because whether an object sinks or floats in water doesn’t just depend on its weight or size. It also depends on its density. Density is a measure of how solid something is. All things are made up of tiny particles called molecules. If the molecules inside an object are very close together, the item is solid, or dense. If the molecules are farther away from each other, the object is less dense, or less solid. An example of a very dense item is a penny. A cork is less dense.

A penny, paperclip, or button sank because the materials they are made of (metal for a paperclip and penny, plastic for a button) had more density than water. (Their molecules are closer together than water molecules are.) A cork, piece of wood, or Styrofoam floated because those materials have less density than water. All the objects that were less dense than water floated in the water! Objects that were more dense than the water sank.

Oil in Water Experiment

Liquid density.

Do you know why oil floats on water? Would an object that sinks in oil be able to float in water? Try this experiment to find out and learn more about density.

• 1-cup glass measuring cup
• vegetable oil
• food coloring
• small objects (we used a raisin, grape, cork, button, penny, screw, and piece of wax)

2. Add 1/3 cup of corn syrup so that the level of liquid in the cup rises to the 2/3 cup mark.

3. Add 1/3 cup of oil to fill the cup to the 1 cup mark.

4. Watch what happens. The layers should separate so that the corn syrup is on the bottom, the oil is on top, and the water is in the middle.

5. Guess where each of your objects will land when dropped into the cup, then test them out one at a time.

The corn syrup was the most dense liquid, so it sank to the bottom of the cup. The water was less dense than the corn syrup, but more dense than the oil, so it settled on top of the corn syrup. The oil was the least dense, so it floated on top of the water!

The objects that you dropped into the cup had different densities. Each object sank into the cup until it got to a liquid that was more dense than it. The cork was not very dense at all, so it floated on the surface of the oil. The wax fell into the oil, but not all the way to the water, so it was more dense than the cork, but not as dense as water. The grape and the raisin fell to the bottom of the water layer, but not into the corn syrup. That means that they were less dense than the corn syrup, but more dense than the water! The penny and screw were very dense; they sank all the way to the bottom of the corn syrup!

To learn more about the properties of water, check out our Science Lesson, Learn About Water .

Physics & Engineering

Welcome! Read other Physics & Engineering related articles or explore our Resource Center, which consists of hundreds of free science articles!

Shop for Physics Supplies!

Home Science Tools offers a wide variety of Physics products and kits. Find physics & engineering tools, equipment, STEM kits & more for kids and adults.

Related Articles

Science Fair Projects for 7th Graders

Science Fair Projects for 7th Graders​​ Science fair projects for 7th graders are a step up in complexity. Because 7th graders have a better grasp of science concepts, they’re expected to practice the scientific method in the way they approach their experiments–which...

Home Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Home Science Experiments for Preschoolers Home science experiments for preschoolers are a great way to pique your child’s curiosity, teach them valuable knowledge, and allow them to have some fun in the comfort of their own home. There are plenty of activities your...

Easy Science Fair Projects for Kids

Easy Science Fair Projects for Kids Science fairs are a long-standing tradition that provide kids with the opportunity to better understand practical concepts in fun and innovative ways. The great thing about the experiments presented at these events is that they...

29 Creative Ways to Use a Home Science Tools Beaker Mug

Infuse a dash of experimentation into your daily routine with a Home Science Tools Beaker Mug! As we gear up for our 29th Anniversary, we've compiled a list of 29 exciting ways to use your beaker mug in everyday life. From brewing up creative concoctions to unleashing...

How to Make a Pollinator Hotel

Have you ever wondered how you can help provide habitat for pollinators like honey bees and butterflies in your back yard? Learn how to make a pollinator hotel with this step-by-step guide and lesson. Pollinators are animals that help move pollen. Most pollinators are...

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get project ideas and special offers delivered to your inbox.

Science Fun

• A glass plate, bowl, or picture frame
• Dry erase marker

Instructions:

• Draw a simple picture on the glass. A stick figure is a good one to start with
• Pour water onto the plate or into the bowl slowly to lift up the drawing
• Swirl the water around to make the picture dance and move

WATCH THE QUICK AND EASY VIDEO TUTORIAL!

How does it work?

The marker leaves behind mixture of pigments and a type of alcohol mixed together. The alcohol dissolves and the pigments are left behind as a solid. Glass is so smooth that the solid slides right off when it gets wet!

Video of experiment here!

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO!

previous experiment

Next experiment.