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Making Disappearing Ink

Disappearing ink is a joke-shop standard and is inexpensive to buy ready-made, but kids can have fun and learn about science by creating their own. Materials can be bought from online home science tool suppliers. Use Thymolphthalein to create blue disappearing ink or Phenolphthalein to create red ink. Simple "invisible" ink can be made by writing on paper with lemon juice and then holding it up to a heat source such as a light bulb to reveal it -- but this is not true disappearing ink as it is clear to start with.

Things You'll Need

Mixing beaker
Metal spoon
1 gram Thymolphthalein or Phenolphthalein
100 ml ethyl alcohol
900 ml water
10 ml 3 molar sodium hydroxide
Protective glasses
Safety gloves
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Put on protective gloves and glasses before starting to make your ink.
- 2
  Pour the Thymolphthalein or Phenolphthalein and the ethyl alcohol into a beaker and stir thoroughly until dissolved.
- 3
  Pour water into the solution and stir again. The liquid will appear white and cloudy at this stage.
- 4
  Pour the sodium hydroxide slowly into the mixture and watch as it turns blue or red depending on which chemical you started with.
- 5
  Apply a small amount of the solution to an inconspicuous piece of fabric you wish to splash with ink to check it does not stain. The carbon dioxide in the air should make the ink vanish after a few seconds.

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