DIY: Juice Colour Magic | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Juice Colour Magic

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Witness the magical transformation using vitamin C drinks and iodine solution! When these two liquids mix, you'll observe fascinating colour changes. Through this experiment, you'll experience the joy of science whilst understanding the principles behind chemical reactions.

Materials Needed

Iodine solution
Food colouring
3 cups of water
Vitamin C effervescent tablets (or vitamin C drink)
Dropper
Stirring rod

An assortment of craft supplies is arranged on a light wood table. These include four small, clear glass jars (two pairs placed side-by-side), a white coffee filter, a group of colourful markers in shades of purple, pink, red, and blue, a pair of scissors, and a black pipe cleaner. The items appear to be laid out in preparation for a craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Dissolve 2 vitamin C tablets in water.

Two hands gently flatten a round white coffee filter on a light wooden surface. The filter's pleated edges are visible, and the hands hold it in place, presumably in preparation for a craft or experiment.

Step 2

Add food colouring to a glass of water and stir well to create coloured water.

On a light wooden table, a left hand holds a white coffee filter flat while a right hand draws a thick black ring with a black marker near the center of the filter. The pleated edges of the filter are still visible.

Step 3

Using the dropper, add 5ml of iodine solution to the coloured water and mix thoroughly.

Two hands manipulate a round white coffee filter on a light woodgrain surface. An orange ring, reminiscent of a donut, has been drawn on the filter. The hands carefully fold the filter in half, then in half again, creating a triangular shape. The video demonstrates the initial steps of a craft project, likely involving the coffee filter as a base material for a decorative item.

Step 4

Add the vitamin C solution to the mixture of iodine and coloured water, and carefully observe the changes in the glass.

A hand pours clear water from a glass into a tall, square glass containing a small amount of orange liquid. As the water mixes with the orange liquid, it creates a swirling, cloudy effect, gradually diluting the colour. The glass sits on a marble surface. In the background, colourful star and flower stickers decorate the wall, and a rack of test tubes with various coloured liquids is visible. The video demonstrates a simple mixing experiment, possibly exploring colour dilution or density differences between liquids.

Step 5

The cloudy liquid in the glass magically returns to its original appearance after adding the vitamin C drink. Do you know the science behind this?

Clear water is poured from a glass into a tall, square glass containing a small amount of red liquid. The water mixes with the red liquid, creating a swirling, cloudy effect as it dilutes the colour. The glass sits on a marble surface. Colourful star and flower stickers decorate the wall in the background. A rack of test tubes containing various coloured liquids is also visible. This video likely demonstrates a mixing experiment, possibly exploring colour dilution or the differences in density between the liquids.

The Science Behind It:

This is an oxidation-reduction reaction, where iodine solution acts as the oxidising agent and vitamin C as the reducing agent. Vitamin C can make iodine solution colourless because it transforms the coloured iodine (I₂) into colourless iodide ions (I⁻). Just like a magician helping a child remove their coat, the water's colour disappears!

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