r/AskScienceDiscussion • u/Born-Celebration-338 • 4d ago

Looking for science help

Hello,

I am searching for materials or methods that would allow me to have visible text underwater, and hidden text in the air, but so far I haven’t really found some really good options.

For context, I am creating an escape game for a school project, and one of the enigmas is a boat that we have to fill with objects without drowning it to reveal the code on the boat.

So far I’ve thought about engraving it on a plastic boat so the light reflects better on the letters while underwater, but it sounds complicated to implement.

My friend also has suggested color changing paint, but it’s honestly expensive, so we decided to look at other options to really consider everything.

Any help or suggestion is welcomed! Or if you have other ideas for our mechanism.

Thank you!

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

3

u/CosineDanger 4d ago

You could write a clue on the boat and cover it over with something opaque that reliably dissolves in water. You want to do this cheaply and without poisoning children so maybe use molasses as paint, or a layer of cake fondant. Give it a good test run.

1

u/stellarfury 4d ago edited 4d ago

Along these lines, poly vinyl alcohol film (sold as embroidery film in craft stores) dissolves in water and is relatively cheap.

A fancier version (fully reversible) would be to take advantage of refractive index matching. If you roughen a transparent window material (so it is opaque) and then dunk it in a liquid that is a near or exact match for its refractive index, it will become clear. Might work with a frosted microscope slide in water, but the match might not be close enough.

1

u/Born-Celebration-338 3d ago

I didnt know that, thanks a lot!! We’ll make sure to credit you all in the paper haha 🙏

1

u/Born-Celebration-338 3d ago

Ohh yes this is pretty clever thanks a lot !!!

1

u/bigattichouse 4d ago

Maybe paint the clue in scotch guard water proofing?

2

u/Born-Celebration-338 3d ago

Yeahh this might work, thanks a lot!!

1

u/bigattichouse 3d ago

I hope to see a picture if it works!