This liquid changes colors when shaken
The faster you shake it, the quicker it turns blue!
Warning! Only under adult supervision.
Equipment
- flask with warm water and stopper;
- glucose solution;
- sodium hydroxide;
- methylene blue dye.
Step-by-step instructions
Mix solutions of glucose, sodium hydroxide, and methylene blue dye in a flask with warm water. The resulting solution stays blue for some time, but then it turns colorless… But it easily turns blue again: just shake the flask or pour the liquid into a glass!
Process description
The sodium hydroxide forces the methylene blue dye to react with the glucose, causing it to lose its color. When the solution is shaken or poured, it becomes saturated with oxygen from the air. The dissolved oxygen rapidly reacts with the colorless dye, turning it blue again. This can serve as the basis for an amusing science trick, as the process can be repeated multiple times with the same solution!
A similar experiment is included in the “Oxygen” set from the MEL Science subscription.