In this practical, students create a marble effect on paper, using their knowledge of mixtures and hydrophobic solutions to explain the phenomena. Also, students use their evaluating skills to determine which method produces the best result.

Student Sheet

In this practical I will be:

  • Carrying out, and carefully observing the results, of the practical.
  • Applying my understanding of mixtures and hydrophobic solutions to explain my observations.
  • Evaluate the results of the two experiments, determining which is better- and explaining why this method is better.

Introduction:

You are an ancient Egyptian science-artist and you have been tasked with creating a ‘marble effect’ on some papyrus. This will make your art look as if it has been painted onto marble, at a fraction of the cost.

You have seen how when oil is dropped onto water it creates an interesting rainbow effect- maybe this effect can be used to create your marbled look. You decide to investigate further…

Equipment:

  • At least 1 piece of different sorts of paper; printer, cartridge, tissue, etc. different effects can be achieved depending upon your selection
  • Cheap shaving cream or hair mousse, perhaps a scented one. Peppermint or a floral scented shaving cream will make your marbled paper fragrant
  • Red, green, blue and yellow food colouring, ink or poster paints
  • Plastic tray approx. 30 cm by 20 cm or large enough to take your paper
  • Disposable plastic pipettes or eye droppers for each colour
  • 1 spoon 
  • 1 fork, spill or toothpick
  • Squeegee cloth or ruler and paper towels
  • String and pegs to hand the paper to dry (or somewhere flat to lay them)
  • Newspaper to cover the work area and place the sheets onto

Wear disposable plastic gloves

Method:

    1. Use a spoon or spatula to spread a thin, very shallow layer of shaving cream in the bottom of the plastic tray.
    2. Put one plastic pipette or eyedropper in each colour. Using the pipette eyedropper dot the surface of the shaving cream with colours of your choice.
    3. Use a fork to gently drag the fork prongs through the shaving cream and the colours in a wavy style. Don’t swirl the colours or they will run together.
    4. Gently lay the paper of your choice on top of the coloured layer in the plastic tray. 
    5. Gently smooth the paper out over the shaving cream with a paper towel.
    6. Carefully remove the paper by holding the corners nearest to you.
    7. Lay the paper down with the coloured side facing upwards. 
    8. Lay a paper towel on the top of the coloured side being careful not to slide the towel across the surface. 
    9. Lift off and repeat laying a paper towel on the surface until all the excess shaving cream has been removed.
    10. Allow marbled paper to dry. Don’t worry if it curls, it can be ironed flat using a low heat.
      • Describe the appearance of the paper.
      • Using the ideas you gained from P006, P007 and P008 try to explain why the paper has formed this pattern.

Going further:

It is possible to make a more substantial marbled paper by using the following method:

Wear disposable plastic gloves and safety glasses

Equipment:

  • 15 g of alum
  • Balance
  • 2 weighing boats
  • 2 spatulas
  • Stirring rod
  • Measuring cylinder
  • 475 cm3 of warm water
  • 2 beakers (600 cm3)
  • 1 fork
  • 3 sheets of non-glossy plain paper
  • 1 medium paint brush
  • 57 g of corn starch
  • 60 cm3 cold water
  • 475 cm3 hot water
  • Shallow tray approx. 30 cm by 20 cm or large enough to take your paper
  • Blue and red food colouring or acrylic paint thinned out with water to the consistency of milk
  • 2 eye droppers
  • 1 comb
  • 3 sheets of newspaper
  • String and pegs to hang the paper to dry (or somewhere flat to lay them)
  • Newspaper to cover the work area and place the sheets onto

Method:

  1. Add 15 g of alum to a 600 cm3 beaker. 
  2. Add 475 cm3 of warm water to the alum and mix with a fork or stirring rod until it’s completely dissolved.
  3. Make a small mark on one side of a sheet of plain paper with a pencil. 
  4. Use the brush (or a sponge) to lightly coat the marked side of the paper with the alum solution (mordant) until damp (not wet). 
  5. Allow the paper to fully dry. This could take about an hour (a hairdryer can be used to dry the paper). If the paper is wrinkled you can iron it between two plain sheets of paper on a low setting.
  6. Add 57 g of corn starch to a 600 cm3 beaker. 
  7. Add 60 cm3 cold water to the corn starch powder; mix with a clean fork or stirring rod to form a white creamy like mixture.
  8. Once it’s well mixed, add 475 cm3 hot water to the corn starch mixture.
  9. Mix until the solution is syrupy and then pour into the shallow tray.
  10. Use eye droppers or pipettes to dot the food colouring or paint onto the surface of the corn starch solution. Use 1 or 2 colours. You want the paint to float on the surface of the cornstarch solution. 
  11. Use the comb to swirl, rake, and spread the paint across the solution’s surface to create swirls of different colours. Avoid disrupting it so much that the individual colours are no longer visible. 
  12. Take a photograph to remind you of the original pattern.
  13. Carefully lay the paper, marked side down (the side coated with the alum solution), into the tray, smoothing it out so that no bubbles remain. 
  14. Leave it for 30 to 45 seconds.
  15. Carefully lift the paper by the corners nearest to you out from the solution.
  16. Under a slow gentle running tap rinse off any excess solution with a gentle stream of water. (Do not hold the paper by the corners as it may tear easily. Instead, place your hands flat underneath the paper and move it under the gently running water.)
    • Describe the final marbled pattern and compare with the original pattern.
    • Which method is the best?
    • Explain why you say that.

Theory:

Over history several methods for making marbled papers have been developed. In most methods a shallow tray is filled with water, and various kinds of coloured ink or paint are carefully applied to the surface with an ink brush. Various additives or chemicals are used to help the colours float on the water. For one effect dropping water into a colour drop floating on the water helps turn a drop of colour into a ring. The process is repeated until the surface of the water is covered with concentric rings of different colours.

In another method the floating colours are manipulated by blowing on them through a straw, fanning them, or carefully using a hair to stir them. In the 19th century, the Japanese Kyoto master Tokutaro Yagi developed a method using a split piece of bamboo to gently stir the colours and create concentric spiral designs. Finally, a sheet of washi paper is carefully laid onto the water surface to capture the floating design.

In some commercial methods they first prepare the paper with a mordant (a substance used to fix dyes). Mordants are used to fix a dye onto a fabric or in this case paper. Mordants can be used before, during or after the process of colouring.

Teacher and Technician Sheet

In this practical students will:

  • Carry out and carefully observe results of the practical.
  • Apply their understanding of mixtures and hydrophobic solutions to explain observations.
  • Evaluate the results of the two experiments, determining which is better- and explaining why this method is better.

Introduction: 

This uses the ideas developed in the practical activities ‘Oil and water mix’, ‘Water drop art’ and ‘Making an oil/water emulsion’ in a practical way to produce an art product.

It can be introduced by talking about the previous investigations into the way oils and waxes do not mix with water. This can be helped by using any records such as drawing, photographs or writings collected in the previous practical activities.

With older students the focus is on the way different materials react when they can form charged particles and the way intermolecular forces of attraction can be used; in this case to produce an artistic effect.

Curriculum range:

Primary age but can be used with younger secondary age students to investigate materials. It links with:

  • reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions;
  • using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings;
  • comparing and grouping together everyday materials on the basis of their properties;
  • knowing that some materials will mix, while others do not; 
  • knowing that liquids that do not mix can be turned into emulsions; and
  • building a more systematic understanding of materials by exploring and comparing the properties of a broad range of materials.

Hazard warnings:

There are no hazards with this investigation but there is a warning that some food colourings can stain the skin. To prevent this it is advisable to give the students plastic gloves to wear. Supervise students’ use of pressurised containers.

Wear disposable plastic gloves for the extension activity.

Alum: Aluminium potassium sulfate(VI)-12-water (Low Hazard)

Equipment:

  • At least 1 piece each of different sorts of white paper; printer, cartridge, tissue, etc. different effects can be achieved depending upon your selection
  • Cheap shaving cream, perhaps a scented one. Peppermint or a floral scented shaving cream or hair mousse will make your marbled paper fragrant 
  • Red, green, blue and yellow food colouring, ink or poster paints
  • Plastic tray approx. 30 cm by 20 cm, or large enough to take your paper
  • Disposable plastic pipettes or eye droppers for each colour
  • 1 spoon or spatula
  • 1 fork or spill or toothpick
  • Squeegee cloth (or ruler) and paper towels
  • String and pegs to hand the paper to dry (or somewhere flat to lay them)
  • Newspaper to cover the work area and place the sheets onto

Going Further:

It is possible to make a more substantial marbled paper by using the Going Further method:

Equipment:

  • 15 g of alum 
  • Balance
  • 2 weighing boats
  • 2 spatulas
  • Measuring cylinder
  • 475 cm3 of warm water
  • 2 beakers (600 cm3)
  • 1 fork
  • 3 sheets of non-glossy plain paper
  • 1 medium paint brush
  • 57 g of corn starch
  • 60 cm3 cold water
  • 475 cm3 hot water
  • Shallow tray approx. 30 cm by 20 cm, or large enough to take your paper
  • Blue and red food colouring or acrylic paint thinned out with water to the consistency of milk
  • 2 eye droppers
  • 1 comb
  • 3 sheets of newspaper
  • String and pegs to hang the paper to dry (or somewhere flat to lay them)
  • Newspaper to cover the work area and place the sheets onto

Wear disposable plastic gloves

Technical notes:

Hair mousse works as well. It doesn’t stay foamy as long as shaving cream but long enough to make the pattern and take a print of it onto paper. Generally they smell quite pleasant too and some of this may transfer to the finished dried paper.

Poster paints and the acrylic paints may need may need thinning with water before using.

A ruler can be used to scrape off the excess foam if a sponge isn’t available.

The material suggested for the extension activity could probably be halved and still make plenty for a group to carry out the practical.

Almost anything can be used to make a pattern in the foam or size; use a straw or blow gently through a straw, pull thread through the foam, etc.

Results:

More of the colour washes off when the first method is used (shaving cream).

The second method, using the alum solution (mordant) and size, results in a more pronounced colour pattern that is fixed onto the paper. It’s also easier to create better and more intricate patterns with this method. 

With both the first and second method there were different results depending upon the type of paper used. I found that plain A4 worked best with the thicker type of A4 paper the easiest to use.

Colour will wash off any parts that have not been covered so it may be better to use a soft sponge rather than a brush to cover the paper without making it too wet. 

Whichever method is used the resulting marbled paper is pretty spectacular. It’s a shame that this practical would be restricted by the amount of drying space available!

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