HOW TO UNVEIL SECRETS:
The Chemistry
behind Invisible ink
ZAHRAA AL NOOR & NADA MINHAJ
what is invisible ink?
Invisible Ink is any substance that you can use to write a message
that is invisible until the ink is revealed. Anyone can write an
invisible message, assuming you have paper, because body fluids
can be used as invisible ink.
It was most commonly used in the past, during wars, it was the form of communication
without the enemy finding out or intercepting their messages.
Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), used invisible ink and ciphers to communicate with
Catholic supporters. Her supporters wrote to her using two common substances: alum
(hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate) or gall ink (tannic acid from parasitic wasps in
oak trees galls). The alum letters would be developed by soaking the letter in water, and
the gall ink would be developed by soaking the letter in iron sulfate solution.
THE
EXPERIMENT
OPTION 1 : WITH HEAT
MATERIALS INSTRUCTIONS
Paper Bowl 1. Add the lemon juice to a bowl (the amount depends on how many
Lemon juice messages you want to write).
Cotton swab (or anything to apply the 2. Using a cotton swab or something similar, write or draw out your
ink, like an old paintbrush, your finger, message on a piece of paper. While the ink is still wet, you’ll be able to
etc.) see what you’re doing.
Source of heat (an incandescent 3. Let the paper dry completely; now the ink should be invisible!
lightbulb, an iron on low heat, or an 4. Apply heat to the paper, taking care to not let the paper burn. When
oven). heat is applied, the ink will turn brown faster than the rest of the paper,
letting you read the message! Heat can be applied in several ways…
Hold the paper up to an incandescent lightbulb (the lightbulb cannot be
a low energy one, the lightbulb needs to be letting out heat).
An iron on low heat (and not on the “steam” setting) can be run over the
paper until the ink is activated.
The paper can be placed in the oven on low heat or over a stove top for
a brief amount of time (be careful to watch the paper, so it doesn’t
burn).
02
WITH INDICATOR
SOLUTION
01Paper
THE MATERIALS
Two bowls
Water
Baking soda
Cotton swab (or anything to apply the ink, like an old paintbrush, your finger, etc.)
Grape juice or cranberry juice (this is the indicator solution)
02 INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix equal parts of baking soda and water in a bowl. Warm water is better, since it makes the mixing process easier,
but it is not necessary.
2. Using a cotton swab or something similar, write or draw out your message on a piece of paper. While the ink is still
wet, you’ll be able to see what you’re doing.
3. Let the paper dry completely; now the ink should be invisible!
4. Pour some grape or cranberry juice into a bowl. Using a cotton swab, or an old paintbrush, add the indicator solution
to the paper. When it is added to the parts of the paper with invisible ink, it will change color, letting you read the
message!
HOW THE INK DISAPPEARS
When the ink is sprayed onto a porous material the water in the ink reacts
with carbon dioxide in the air to form carbonic acid. The carbonic acid
then reacts with the sodium hydroxide in a neutralization reaction to form
sodium carbonate. Neutralization of the base causes a colour change of
the indicator and the stain disappears:
Carbon dioxide in the air reacts with water to form carbonic acid:
CO2 Images
+ H2Ohelp us understand the theory.
→ H2CO3
The neutralisation reaction is sodium hydroxide + carbonic acid ->
sodium carbonate
Images help us+understand
water: the theory.
2 Na(OH) + H2CO3 → Na2CO3 + 2 H2O
THE CHEMISRTY BEHIND IT
01 WITH HEAT
The invisible ink, lemon juice in this case, is acidic. The
acid in the ink attaches to the paper, creating
compounds. When these compounds get hot, they
burn and change color (like toast)! This process is
called oxidation.
02 WITH INDICATOR
The way this ink works is based on pH, a scale of
acid and alkaline. Baking soda is alkaline, or basic.
The juice, or indicator solution, is acidic. When
basic and acidic things combine, they create a
chemical reaction. So, when the indicator solution
touches the invisible ink, a chemical reaction
happens, and the ink changes color!
THANK YOU!