How to Make Invisible Ink

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How To Make Invisible Ink Using common ingredients found in your home, you can easily create secret messages that are unseen by the naked eye. But when a little science is applied, the message mysteriously appears. This is perfect for passing notes among friends and siblings that are for their eyes only. Make sure you and your partner are familiar with the methods used to create and read the messages. Note that you don’t need all of the items listed Items Needed • Baking powder and water / Grape juice • Vinegar or lemon juice / Hair dryer or lamp or other heat source • Clear liquid laundry detergent / Black light • Whole milk / Pencil and sandpaper • Cotton swab or toothpick Instructions for acids & bases invisible ink 1. Mix two tablespoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of water. Using a cotton swab or toothpick, dip it in the mixture and write your message on a piece of paper. Let it dry. 2. Dip a sponge or new cotton swab in grape juice and “paint” over the paper with the secret message to reveal it. 3. This works because a base reacts with an acid and produces a different color. Acids are sour materials (like the grape juice) that has a chemical reaction when mixed with bases (baking soda). In this case, the chemical reaction is that a new color is produced. Instructions for heat activated invisible ink 1. Pour some vinegar or lemon juice in a cup and dip a cotton swab or toothpick in the cup. Write out your secret message on paper and let it dry. 2. To read the message you will need a heat source. Heat the paper using a hair dryer or a lamp for several minutes (up to ten minutes depending on the temperature of the heat source) to reveal the message. 3. The heat method works because the vinegar or lemon juice is an acid that slightly damages the paper. When placed near a heat source the acid undergoes a color change going from clear to a different color revealing the message. Instructions for milk based invisible ink 1. To do this method, you need whole milk, buttermilk or half and half (milk with a high fat content). Dip a cotton swab into the milk and write your secret message. (Use light colored paper for a better effect). 2. After it dries, take a pencil and rub the graphite (the dark part that writes) against the sandpaper. As the graphite turns to powder spread it over the paper. When you cover enough of the paper rub the graphite off with a tissue and watch the secret message appear. 3. This method works because the graphite dust will stick to the fat in the milk but it won’t stick to the paper. For a video of the process visit http://seven-oaks.net/5-foolproof-invisible-ink-recipes/ .

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