How to Do the Blue Bottle Chemistry Demonstration - Introduction and Materials

Turn a blue solution into a clear solution then back to blue. Alice Edward, Getty Images In this chemistry demonstration, a blue solution gradually becomes clear. When the flask of liquid is swirled around, the solution becomes blue again. Instructions are given for performing the reaction, the chemistry is explained, and options for making red -> clear -> red and green -> red/yellow -> green color change reactions are explained. The blue bottle reaction is easy to perform and uses readily-available materials. Materials

tap water two 1-liter Erlenmeyer flasks, with stoppers 7.5 g glucose (2.5 g for one flask; 5 g for the other flask) 7.5 g sodium hydroxide NaOH (2.5 g for one flask; 5 g for the other flask) 0.1% solution of methylene blue (1 ml for each flask)

Procedure 1. Half-fill two one-liter Erlenmeyer flasks with tap water. 2. Dissolve 2.5 g of glucose in one of the flask (flask A) and 5 g of glucose in the other flask (flask B). 3. Dissolve 2.5 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in flask A and 5 g of NaOH in flask B.

4. Add ~1 ml of 0.1% methylene blue to each flask. 5. Stopper the flasks and shake them to dissolve the dye. The resulting solution will be blue. 6. Set the flasks aside (this is a good time to explain the chemistry of the demonstration). The liquid will gradually become colorless as glucose is oxidized by the dissolved dioxygen. The effect of concentration on reaction rate should be obvious. The flask with twice the concentration uses the dissolved oxygen in about half the time as the other solution. A thin blue boundary can be expected to remain at the solution-air interface, since oxygen remains available via diffusion. 7. The blue color of the solutions can be restored by swirling or shaking the contents of the flask. 8. The reaction can be repeated several times. Safety & Clean-Up Avoid skin contact with the solutions, which contain caustic chemicals. The reaction neutralizes the solution, which can be disposed of by pouring it down the drain. How the Blue Bottle Reaction Works In this reaction, glucose (an aldehyde) in an alkaline solution is slowly oxidized by dioxygen to form gluconic acid: CH2OHCHOHCHOHCHOHCHOHCHO + 1/2 O2 --> CH2OHCHOH CHOHCHOHCHOHCOOH Gluconic acid is converted to sodium gluconate in the presence of sodium hydroxide. Methylene blue speeds up this reaction by acting as an oxygen transfer agent. By oxidizing glucose, methylene blue is itself reduced (forming leucomethylene blue), and becomes colorless. If there is a sufficient available oxygen (from air), leucomethylene blue is reoxidized and the blue color of solution can be restored. Upon standing, glucose reduces the methylene blue dye and the color of the solution disappears. In dilute solutions the reaction takes place at 40-60C, or at room temperature (described here) for more concentrated solutions.

Briggs-Rauscher Oscillating Color Change Reaction

Oscillating Clock Demonstration

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com Guide See More About:

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The color change reaction is a great way to introduce pH indicators. George Doyle, Getty Images Introduction The Briggs-Rauscher reaction, also known as 'the oscillating clock', is one of the most common demonstrations of a chemical oscillator reaction. The reaction begins when three colorless solutions are mixed together. The color of the resulting mixture will oscillate between clear, amber, and deep blue for about 3-5 minutes. The solution ends up as a blue-black mixture. Materials

Solution A: Add 43 g potassium iodate (KIO3) to ~800 mL distilled water. Stir in 4.5 mL sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Continue stirring until the potassium iodate is dissolved. Dilute to 1 L. Solution B: Add 15.6 g malonic acid (HOOCCH2COOH) and 3.4 g manganese sulfate monohydrate (MnSO4 . H2O) to ~800 mL distilled water. Add 4 g of vitex starch. Stir until dissolved. Dilute to 1 L. Solution C: Dilute 400 mL of 30% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to 1 L.

You will need:

300 mL of each solution 1 L beaker

stirring plate magnetic stir bar

Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. Place the stirring bar into the large beaker. Pour 300 mL each of solutions A and B into the beaker. Turn on the stirring plate. Adjust the speed to produce a large vortex. Add 300 mL of solution C into the beaker. Be sure to add solution C after mixing solutions A + B or else the demonstration will not work. Enjoy!

Notes This demonstration evolves iodine. Wear safety goggles and gloves and perform the demonstration in a well-ventilated room, preferably under a ventilation hood. Use care when preparing the solutions, as the chemicals include strong irritants and oxidizing agents. Clean Up Neutralize the iodine by reducing it to iodide. Add ~10 g sodium thiosulfate to the mixture. Stir until the mixture becomes colorless. The reaction between iodine and thiosulfate is exothermic and the mixture may be hot. Once cool, the neutralized mixture may be washed down the drain with water. The Briggs-Rauscher Reaction IO3- + 2 H2O2 + CH2(CO2H)2 + H+ --> ICH(CO2H)2 + 2 O2 + 3 H2O This reaction can be broken into two component reactions: IO3- + 2 H2O2 + H+ --> HOI + 2 O2 + 2 H2O This reaction can occur by a radical process which is turned on when Iconcentration is low, or by a nonradical process when the I- concentration is high. Both processes reduce iodate to hypoiodous acid. The radical process forms hypoiodous acid at a much faster rate than the nonradical process. The HOI product of the first component reaction is a reactant in the second component reaction: HOI + CH2(CO2H)2 --> ICH(CO2H)2 + H2O This reaction also consists of two component reactions: I- + HOI + H+ --> I2 + H2O I2CH2(CO2H)2 --> ICH2(CO2H)2 + H+ + I-

The amber color results from the production of the I2. The I2 forms because of the rapid production of HOI during the radical process. When the radical process is occurring, HOI is created faster than it can be consumed. Some of the HOI is used while excess is reduced by hydrogen peroxide to I-. The increasing Iconcentration reaches a point at which the nonradical process takes over. However, the nonradical process does not produce HOI nearly as fast as the radical process, so the amber color begins to clear as I2 is consumed more quickly than it can be created. Eventually the I- concentration drops low enough for the radical process to restart so the cycle can repeat itself. The deep blue color is the result of the I- and I2 binding to the starch present in the solution. Source: B. Z. Shakhashiri, 1985, Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, vol. 2, pp. 248-256.

Christmas Chemistry Demonstration

Green to Red Color Change Christmas Chemistry Demonstration
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com Guide See More About:

christmas chemistry color change reactions chemistry demonstrations ph indicators

Use red and green Christmas colors for a chemistry demonstration. Medioimages/Photodisc, Getty Images Color-change demonstrations are classic fare for the chemistry classroom. The most common color change reaction may be the Blue Bottle (blue-clear-blue) chemistry demonstration and the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating clock (clear-amberblue), but if you use different indicators you can get color-change reactions to suit just about any occasion. For example, you can perform a green-red-green color

change reaction for a bit of Christmas chemistry. This color change demonstration uses the indigo carmine indicator:

Prepare a 750 ml aqueous solution with 15 g glucose (solution A) and a 250 ml aqueous solution with 7.5 g sodium hydroxide (solution B). Warm solution A to around body temperature (98-100F). Add a 'pinch' of indigo carmine, the disodium salt of indigo-5,5'disulphonic acid, to solution A. A pinch is enough indicator to make solution A visibly blue. Pour solution B into solution A. This will change the color from blue green. Over time, this color will change from green red/golden yellow. Pour this solution into an empty beaker, from a height of ~60 cm. Vigorous pouring from a height is essential in order to dissolve oxygen from the air into the solution. This should return the color to green. Once again, the color will return to red/golden yellow. The demonstration may be repeated several times.

Halloween Reaction or Old Nassau Reaction

Orange and Black Clock Reaction
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The Old Nassau reaction is an oscillating clock that goes between orange and black. Siri Stafford, Getty Images The Old Nassau or Halloween reaction is a clock reaction in which the color of a chemical solution changes from orange to black. Here's how you can do this reaction as a chemistry demonstration and a look at the chemical reactions that are involved. Halloween Reaction Materials

water soluble starch sodium metabisulphite (Na2S2O5) mercury(II) chloride potassium iodate (KIO3)

Prepare the Solutions

Solution A: Mix 4 g soluble starch in a couple milliliters of water. Stir the starch paste into 500 ml boiling water. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Add 13.7 g of sodium metabisulphite. Add water to make 1 liter of solution. Solution B: Dissolve 3 g mercury(II) chloride in water. Add water to make 1 liter of solution. Solution C: Dissolve 15 g potassium iodate in water. Add water to make 1 liter of solution.

Perform the Demonstration 1. Mix 50 ml solution A with 50 ml of solution B. 2. Pour this mixture into 50 ml of solution C. The color of the mixture will change to an opaque orange color after a few seconds as the mercury iodide precipitates. After another few seconds the mixture will turn blue-black as the starch-iodine complex forms. If you dilute the solutions by a factor of two then it takes longer for the color changes to occur. If you use a smaller volume of solution B the reaction will proceed more rapidly. Chemical Reactions 1. Sodium metabisulfite and water react to form sodium hydrogen sulfite: Na2S2O5 + H2O --> 2 NaHSO3

2. Iodate(V) ions are reduced to iodide ions by the hydrogen sulfite ions: IO3- + 3 HSO3- --> I- + 3 SO42- + 3 H+ 3. When the concentration of iodide ions becomes sufficent for the solubility product of the HgI2 to exceed 4.5 x 10-29 mol3 dm-9, then orange mercury(II) iodide precipitates until the Hg2+ ions are consumed (assuming an excess of I- ions): Hg2+ + 2 I- --> HgI2 (orange or yellow) 4. If I- and IO3- ions remain, then an iodide-iodate reaction takes place: IO3- + 5 I- + 6 H+ --> 3 I2 + 3 H2O 5. The resulting statch-iodine complex is black to blue-black: I2 + starch --> a blue/black complex

Vanishing Valentine Chemistry Demonstration

Pink Color Change Chem Demo
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com Guide See More About:

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If you have a separatory funnel available, try performing the Vanishing Valentine demo in that glassware, since it resembles a heart. Sami Sarkis

Here's a fun chemistry demonstration that's perfect for Valentine's Day or to illustrate an oxidation-reduction reaction. The Vanishing Valentine involves shaking a solution, causing it to turn pink. If the pink Valentine solution is left undisturbed, it will become colorless. The color change cycle can be repeated several times. It is caused by the oxidation and reduction of resazurin. an indicator that is pink or colorless depending on its oxidation state. Vanishing Valentine Materials

100 ml of a 0.133 M dextrose solution (C6H12O6) 100 ml of a 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) 1 ml of a 0.1% resazurin solution a 250-ml or 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask or separatory funnel (resembles a heart) stopper for the flask dropper or pipette

Prepare the Solutions Dextrose Solution: Dissolve 2.4 g of dextrose in distilled or deionized water to make 100 ml of solution. Sodium Hydroxide Solution: Prepare the 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution by dissolving 4.0 g of sodium hydroxide in enough distilled or deionized water to make 100 ml of solution. Add the sodium hydroxide a little at time, stirring constantly. Heat is evolved from this reaction. Resazurin Solution: Dissolve 0.1 g of resazurin in distilled or deionized water to make 100 ml of solution. The shelf life of resazurin solution is 6-12 months. This solution should be a deep blue color. Perform the Vanishing Valentine Demonstration 1. Pour 100 ml of dextrose solution and 100 ml of sodium hydroxide solution into the Erlenmeyer flask or separatory funnel. 2. Add 8 drops of resazurin indicator solution to the flask or funnel. 3. Stopper the solution and swirl the flask to mix the contents. Initially the solution will be blue. 4. Allow the solution to sit undisturbed. Once the resazurin is fully reduced the solution will become clear or colorless. This may take up to 10 minutes. 5. Swirl or shake the solution to turn it a pink Valentine color. 6. The clear-pink cycle may be repeated by allowing the solution to sit and then shaking it again. Once prepared, the solution lasts approximately an

hour (depending on temperature and available oxygen in the flask). The pink color will become less vivid over time. Vanishing Valentine Chemical Reactions Dextrose irreversibly reduces resazurin to resorufin. The red resorufin molecule is further reduced (reversibly) to colorless dihydroresorufin. Dihydroresorufin (clear) may be oxidized back to resorufin (pink) by swirling or shaking the flask to introduce oxygen from the air into the solution. Vanishing Valentine Demo Safety Wear appropriate chemistry lab safety gear when performing this demonstration, such as a lab apron, gloves and safety goggles. While the resazurin and dextrose solutions are not hazardous, sodium hydroxide solutions are caustic and could produce a chemical burn if spilled on the skin or splashed into the eyes.