You’ve sent chocolate, picked out the perfect cards, and even done candlelit dinners. Now, you find yourself searching for something extra-special to really charm your valentine this year. How about a little science? That’s right…with a little preparation, some simple materials, and some science know-how, you will have your special someone swooning. At the very least, they’ll be impressed. This year, send them a secret message that can only be revealed with a little heat and some Valentine Science!
Here’s What You Need
- A Frixion Pen (blue or black works best)
- A regular ball point pen (the same color as your Frixion Pen)
- A Valentine’s Day card, a notecard, or something else to write you message on
- A candle, lighter, or toaster
Here’s What You Do
Use the regular ball point pen to write your secret Valentines Day message on your card. Remember, this will only be read by your sweetheart, so don’t worry about being too mushy. Really pour on the lovey-dovey-sappy stuff!
Use the regular pen to write your secret Valentines Day message
Now, use the Frixion Pen to disguise your secret message. The object is to make the message impossible to read. Turn the letters into symbols. Write new letters or words. Draw flowers, trees, birds, and little stick people. Get creative! Remember, you are sending a secret message. The object is to hide your message with the Frixion Pen.
Use the Frixion Pen to disguise your letters and words
When you give your card to your special someone, they will probably be uncertain about what they see. Take advantage of this moment of utter confusion. Say something really romantic like “my heart burns for you” or “come on, baby, light my fire” and wave the card over a heat source such as a candle, lighter, or toaster, Anything that was written with the Frixion pen will quickly disappear when the writing is expose to heat. All that will remain is the message you wrote with the regular ball point pen! Now smile and soak up all that good Valentines Day lovin’!
Heat will cause the Frixion pen ink to disappear
The Science Behind the Valentine Science
The Frixion Pen is not like other erasable pens. The inks in these pens are sensitive to changes in temperature. At temperatures between 15°F and 140°F, the ink will appear black or blue on the paper. However, as the temperature goes above 140°F the ink becomes clear. Holding your card over the open flame pushed the temperature past that 140°F mark. Likewise, if you want the pigment to reappear you need to cool the ink down to a temperature lower than 15°F. Stick your card in the freezer for a while and the symbols you created should reappear!
The ink in the Frixion Pen is thermochromatic ink. It responds to changes in temperature. Chemists formulate it to change colors at different temperatures. These types of pigments have been around for quite a while. In fact, they are responsible for the color changes in things like mood rings and heat sensitive labels.
Happy Valentines Day!
