# I need help making water that has a color

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-making-water-that-has-a-color/26676>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 24, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-making-water-that-has-a-color/26676 "2000-07-24T19:13:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-making-water-that-has-a-color/26676/21 "2000-07-25T18:09:58Z")

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> [@](#):
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> I need help making water that has a color

See a good urologist. 😃

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-making-water-that-has-a-color/26676/22 "2000-07-26T02:38:08Z")

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When I was a kid, I once bought some “disappearing ink” at some toy store or somewhere. It seemed to be water colored very dark blue, like fountain pen ink. However, after I spilled it on something, the color disappeared completely in a few seconds, leaving a damp spot. I think someone told me the color disappearance was because of an oxidation or bleaching reaction.

Maybe a magic store would have something that is similar to this in the color you want.

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**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2000, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-help-making-water-that-has-a-color/26676/23 "2000-07-26T14:48:13Z")

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You could always use elemental bromine. It has the following characteristics you are looking for:

1. Deep orange
2. Liquid
3. Volatile
4. After it all evaporates, it leaves no residue.

However, it has the following disadvantages

1. Acrid smelling
2. Highly corrosive
3. Reactive with most metals
4. Toxic

You’re choice…

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