Jump to main content

Minds of Their Own: A Chemical Reaction that Changes, then Changes Back!

1
2
3
4
5
163 reviews

Abstract

Have you ever seen a chemical reaction that makes a solution change color? Probably. But what about a solution that changes color and then changes back, not only once, but many times? Sounds pretty exotic! Whereas most chemical reactions only move in one direction from reactants (starting chemicals) to products, in these rare oscillating reactions, the reaction products appear and disappear for a number of cycles. Because the products are colored, the solution appears alternately blue, then yellow, then clear. In this science project, you can even record each cycle of color change using a smartphone equipped with a sensor app. The reaction is easy to set up and fun to watch—so what are you waiting for?

Summary

Areas of Science
Difficulty
 
Time Required
Long (2-4 weeks)
Prerequisites
A class in chemistry would be helpful, but is not required.
Material Availability
You will need to order the Oscillating Chemical Reaction Kit online. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.
Cost
Average ($50 - $100)
Safety
Adult supervision is required. Minor injury is possible. Be sure to wear safety goggles.
Credits
David B. Whyte, PhD, Science Buddies
Edited by Svenja Lohner, PhD, Science Buddies

Objective

Explore factors that control an oscillating chemical reaction.

Introduction

What do these things have in common: rust forming on an iron nail, a mixture of vinegar and baking soda producing carbon dioxide bubbles, and gasoline burning in a car's engine? They are all examples of chemical reactions. In each example, the starting chemicals, or reactants, combine to form the resulting chemicals, or products. Rust (or iron oxide) forms when iron in the metal combines with oxygen in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide forms when the acetic acid in vinegar reacts with sodium bicarbonate in baking soda. And water, carbon dioxide, and the energy used to make a car move result when gasoline reacts with oxygen. These reactions all move in one direction, from reactants to products. However, the Briggs-Rauscher (BR) reaction is different from these reactions in that it oscillates. To start the chemical reaction, two clear solutions are mixed together.

Watch this video of Briggs-Rauscher oscillating reaction.

The resulting clear solution then turns blue, then yellow, and then clear again. Each color is present for about 1–3 seconds (sec). The cycle of color changes repeats until one or more of the chemicals are used up. The reaction was developed by Thomas S. Briggs and Warren C. Rauscher of Galileo High School in San Francisco in 1972.

Don't let the equations below scare you away! Don't worry if you think you'll find the following chemistry explanations and chemical equations a bit intimidating—most professional chemists would agree that the chemistry of the Briggs-Rauscher reaction is complicated! While you will not need to use the following equations to perform the experiment below, the information is included so you can try to learn and understand the reactions taking place. There are a lot of things going on at the molecular level to create the oscillating color changes. However, this science project has the advantage that you can actually see changes in the reaction products (the colored ones, at least) as they form and disappear. You can even record the color changes with a light sensor! This science project focuses on how changing the concentration of one of the chemicals (malonic acid) affects the color changes in the reaction. Do you think the color change will happen faster or slower if you add more chemicals?

The following explanation of the chemistry involved in the reaction is based on the University of Leeds chemistry website and Shakhashiri's book (see the Bibliography). In the BR reaction, the evolution of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases and the concentrations of iodine and iodide ions oscillate. Here is the list of names for the chemicals in the reactions that follow:

The mechanism of this reaction can be summarized by the following equations:

Equation 1:
IO3- + 2 H2O2 + CH2(COOH)2 + H+ → ICH(COOH)2 + 2 O2 + 3 H2O

This transformation can be represented by two component reactions:

Equation 2:
IO3- + 2 H2O2 + H+ → HIO + 2 O2 + 2 H2O
Equation 3:
HIO + CH2(COOH)2 → ICH(COOH)2 + H2O

The first of these two reactions can occur by either of two different processes, a radical process and a non-radical process (radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons, represented as a dot after the name, as in HOO., the hydroperoxyl radical). These two component reactions "compete" for dominance, and the processes that dominates is determined by the concentration of iodide ions in the solution. When [I-] is low, the reaction proceeds primarily by the radical process; when [I-] is high, the non-radical process is the major process. The second reaction (Equation 3) couples the two processes. The reaction consumes HIO more slowly than HIO is produced by the radical process when that process is predominant, but it uses up HIO more rapidly than it is produced by the non-radical process. Any HIO that does not react by Equation 3 is reduced to I- by hydrogen peroxide as one of the component steps of the non-radical process for reaction 2.

When HIO is produced rapidly by the radical process, the excess forms the iodide ions, which shut off that radical process and start the slower non-radical process. Reaction 3 then consumes the HIO so rapidly that not enough is available to produce the iodide ion necessary to keep the nonradical process going, and the radical process starts again. Each of the processes of reaction 2 produces conditions favorable to the other process; therefore, the reaction oscillates between these two processes.

Let's look at the process in a little more detail. If iodide ions are present in sufficient concentration, the reaction follows the non-radical process, reaction 2. The iodide ions react relatively slowly with iodate ions.

Equation 4:
IO3- + I- + 2 H+ → HIO2 + HIO

The iodous acid (HIO2) is further reduced to hypoiodous acid (HIO).

Equation 5:
HIO2 + I- + H+ → 2 HIO

The hypoiodous acid is then reduced by hydrogen peroxide.

Equation 6:
HIO + H2O2 → I- + O2 + H+ + H2O

The net transformation, represented by Equation 2, is obtained by the stoichiometric addition of Equation 4 + Equation 5 + Equation 6.

Because reaction 2 is slower than reaction 3 under these conditions, so much HIO is used up by reaction 3 that reaction 6 cannot replenish the I- consumed in reactions 4 and 5; the [I-] keeps diminishing.

Once the concentration of iodide ions falls below a certain level, the non-radical process becomes very slow, and the radical process for reaction 2 takes over. This process involves these five steps:

Equation 7:
IO3- + HIO2 + H+ → 2 IO2· + H2O
Equation 8:
IO2· + Mn2++ H2O → HIO2 + Mn(OH)2
Equation 9:
Mn(OH)2 + H2 O2 → Mn2+ + H2O + HOO·
Equation 10:
2 HOO· → H2O2 + O2
Equation 11:
2 HIO2 → IO3- + HIO + H+

These steps, when combined in the stoichiometry of 2 (Equation 7) + 4 (Equation 8) + 4 (Equation 9) + 2 (Equation 10) +1 (Equation 11), have the overall result given by Equation 2. A significant feature of this process is that, taken together, the first two steps, Equation 7 and Equation 8, are autocatalytic—they produce 2 HIO2 for each one consumed. Therefore, the rate of these steps increases as they occur. Because this radical process is autocatalytic, it causes a rapid increase in the concentration of HIO, which is produced by the disproportionation of HIO2 (Equation 11). This process does not rapidly consume all the iodate in the solution, because the last step is second order in the catalytic species. Thus, as its concentration increases because of the autocatalytic nature of the early steps, HIO2 is ever more rapidly consumed in this last step, and the sequence of the reactions quickly reaches a steady state.

Equations 8 and 9 show the function of the manganese catalyst. The manganese is oxidized in reaction 8 and reduced in reaction 9. Its catalytic effect in the reaction is accounted for through its providing the means for reducing IO2· radicals to HIO2, thereby completing the autocatalytic cycle of equations 7 and 8.

The hypoiodous acid produced by the radical process reacts with malonic acid by reaction 3. However, the radical process is faster than reaction 3, and the excess HIO reacts with hydrogen peroxide by reaction 6 to create I-, which shuts off the radical process and returns the system to the slow nonradical process initiated by reaction 4.

The dramatic color effects arise because reaction 3 does not take place in a single step, but by the sequence of reactions 12 and 13.

Equation 12:
I- + HIO + H+ → I2 + H2O
Equation 13:
I2 + CH2(COOH)2 → ICH(COOH)2 + H+ + I-

The solution turns amber from the I2 produced through reaction 1, when the radical process maintains [HIO] greater than [I-]. The excess HIO is converted to I- through the reaction with H2O2 (Equation 6). The solution suddenly turns dark blue when [I-] becomes greater than [HIO], and the I- can combine with I2 to form a complex with the starch. With [I-] high, reaction 2 switches to the slow nonradical process. The color then fades as reaction 3 consumes iodine faster than it is produced. When the system switches back to the rapid radical process, the cycle repeats.

When the solutions containing the reactants are mixed, IO3- reacts with H2O2 to produce a little HIO2. The HIO2 reacts with IO3- in the first step of the radical process (Equation 7). The autocatalytic radical process follows, rapidly increasing the concentration of HIO. The HIO is reduced to I- in a reaction with H2O2 (Equation 6). The large amount of HIO reacts with I-, producing I2 (Equation 12). The I2 reacts slowly with malonic acid, but the concentration of HIO, I2- all increase, because reaction 2 is faster than reaction 3. As [I-] increases, the rate of its reaction with HIO2 (Equation 5) surpasses that of the autocatalytic sequence of reactions 7 and 8. The radical process is then shut off, and the accumulation of reduced iodine is consumed by reaction 3 operating through the sequence of reactions 12 and 13. Eventually, [I-] is reduced to such a low value that reactions 7 and 8 become faster than reaction 5, and the radical process takes over again. This oscillating sequence repeats until the malonic acid or IO3- is depleted.

For this science project, you will buy a kit that contains all of the chemicals you need. Wear gloves and safety goggles when working with chemicals. The focus of the procedure is to investigate how changing the amount of malonic acid affects the color changes produced in the reaction.

Terms and Concepts

Questions

Bibliography

Materials and Equipment

Disclaimer: Science Buddies participates in affiliate programs with Home Science Tools, Amazon.com, Carolina Biological, and Jameco Electronics. Proceeds from the affiliate programs help support Science Buddies, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and keep our resources free for everyone. Our top priority is student learning. If you have any comments (positive or negative) related to purchases you've made for science projects from recommendations on our site, please let us know. Write to us at scibuddy@sciencebuddies.org.

Experimental Procedure

Important Notes Before You Begin:

  1. Wear safety goggles and gloves.
  2. Arrange the chemicals in the wooden rack to make them easier to work with.
    1. The chemicals you will need are sodium iodate, sulfamic acid, malonic acid, and manganese sulfate. They are in plastic vials.
    2. You will make enough of the solutions so that you can perform the procedure three times with the original solutions. This prevents variation due to measuring out different amounts of chemicals in separate trials.
    3. You will make an excess of each solution (40 mL rather than 30) so that there is enough to run it three times with an equal amount of liquid. If you make just enough for three trials, the volumes available for the third trial might be less than needed.
  3. You will use a sensor app to record each color change with the light sensor of your smartphone. The app creates a graph that will allow you to accurately determine the time in between each color change (the oscillation frequency) as well as the number of color change cycles. If you do not have a phone, you can alternatively observe the reaction and use a stopwatch to time how long it takes for the reaction to turn blue again.

Making the Original Solutions

First, you will prepare solutions A and B with the chemicals shown in Figure 1. The first reaction you prepare will have 4 scoops of malonic acid in solution B. Later in the procedure, you will change this amount to see how the oscillation behavior changes dependent on malonic acid availability in the reaction solution.

Two clear plastic cups labeled A and B next to five bottles of various chemicals

The five bottles pictured contain the chemicals Malonic acid, Manganese sulfate, Sodium iodate, Sodium thiosulfate and Sulfamic acid.


Figure 1. For the oscillation reaction, you will prepare two different solutions (A and B) and vary the amounts of malonic acid in solution B.

Making Solution A

  1. Label one cup A.
  2. Pour 40 mL of distilled water into cup A using the beaker.
  3. Add two scoops of sodium iodate and four level scoops of sulfamic acid to the cup.
  4. Swirl gently until the chemicals are dissolved.
  5. This is solution A. It should look colorless and clear.

Making Solution B

  1. Label another cup B.
  2. Add 40 mL of hydrogen peroxide to cup B using the beaker.
  3. Add four rounded scoops of malonic acid to cup B.
  4. Add a small amount of manganese sulfate, about the size of a grain of rice.
  5. Shake the starch solution bottle, then add 10 drops of the starch solution to cup B.
  6. Swirl the solution to mix the chemicals.
  7. This is solution B. It should be colorless and clear. You might notice some white flocs floating in solution, which result from the starch being added.

Mixing the Solutions

Before you mix the solutions, you should choose one method to gather your data. If you have a phone available, you can record your data with a sensor app. If you do not have a phone, continue with option 2 that uses a stopwatch to time the color change. You can also use both methods in parallel and compare the results at the end.

Option 1: Using a Sensor App

Sensor apps such as phyphox let you record data using sensors that are built into many smartphones, including a light sensor which measures light levels (normally this sensor is used to automatically adjust the brightness of your phone's screen). In this project, you will use the app to record the color change of your reaction. You will do this by placing your solution directly on top of the light sensor and measuring how much light shines through. You will notice that when the color of your solution becomes darker, less light will reach your light sensor compared to when your solution is colorless.

Note: Phyphox does not support the light sensor on iOS devices. If you need the light sensor, you have to use Android devices for your experiment. Note that on some devices the light sensor is only updated when there is a coarse change of illuminance. This means that if the light intensity does not change or only changes slightly, the sensor appears to not record any data. The recording will continue once the light intensity changes again. If your experiments allows, it helps to wiggle the phone or the light source (e.g. flashlight) slightly to induce minimal reading fluctuations and keep the sensor active.
  1. Protect your phone from any potential spills by putting it into the waterproof plastic bag. Make sure the bag is transparent so light can get through. Lay your phone flat on the table with the display facing upwards.
  2. Make sure you know the location of the light sensor in your phone and test if it works as expected.
  3. Label a third cup C and place it right on top of the light sensor.
  4. Position a flashlight above cup C that shines light from the top into cup C directly onto the light sensor of your phone. You could, for example, attach the flashlight to a tripod or other kind of stand. If you have a very bright ceiling lamp, that might work as well. Your setup should look similar to the one shown in Figure 2.
A flexible tripod holds a flashlight over a glass beaker that sits on the light sensor of a smartphone
Figure 2. Before you mix solution A and B, place cup C on top of your phone's light sensor and set up a light source above cup C that provides enough light. Note: You will use a plastic cup instead of the beaker shown in this image. Also, you will put your phone in a plastic bag to protect it from any spills.
  1. Once you have positioned your light source and placed cup C on the phone's light sensor, you are ready to mix solution A and B. Open the sensor app on your phone. Then, select the light sensor in your app switch on your light source, and check your sensor readings. They should be constant as long as the light is not changing. Remember that on some devices the light sensor does only update its readings when there is a coarse change of illuminance. If this is the case, the sensor does not appear to take any readings as long as the light intensity doesn't change much. It will work though once you mix the solutions.
  2. Pour 10 mL of solution A into cup C using the beaker.
    1. Rinse the beaker out between uses with tap water.
  3. Before you mix in solution B, start a new recording for your first experiment by pressing the play button in phyphox.
  4. Then pour 10 mL of solution B into cup C and mix the combined solutions in cup C quickly with a spoon.
  5. Make sure cup C stays at the same location on top of the light sensor during mixing and throughout the whole reaction. Let the app record the color change over time. Observe on the graph how the light intensity changes with each color change. The reaction should turn blue/yellowish a number of times. The precise number of cycles depends on the starting conditions.
  6. Wait until the reaction stops cycling between colors. When the reaction stops, the solution will be a brown/purple color. At this point you can stop recording your data with the app. Make sure to save your data and label the recording appropriately.
  7. Carefully pour this solution down the sink with plenty of cold running water to wash it down. Be careful with this solution, as it contains iodine and will stain surfaces with which it comes in contact.
  8. Repeat the steps 6–11 two more times using solutions A and B. Remember, there will be some of solution A and solution B left over, since you made excess to ensure that you could do the procedure three times with equal amounts of liquid.
    1. You could repeat the procedure a fourth time with the remaining solutions, or dispose of them down a sink with cold running water.

Option 2: Using a Stopwatch

  1. Label a third cup C. Be ready to observe and time the reaction process as soon as the two solutions are combined.
  2. Pour 10 mL of solution A into cup C using the beaker.
    1. Rinse the beaker out between uses with tap water.
  3. Pour 10 mL of solution B into cup C.
  4. Start the stopwatch immediately.
  5. Swirl the combined solutions in cup C to mix.
  6. Record the times at which the solution turns blue in your lab notebook.
    1. It should turn blue/yellowish a number of times. The precise number of cycles depends on the starting conditions.
    2. Have your helper write down the time the solution turned blue in the lab notebook while you watch the solution and the stopwatch. Or work out your own way to work together to record the times at which the solution turns blue.
    3. You could also use a video recorder to capture the changes in color if you choose. This will allow you determine more accurately the times at which color changes occurred.
  7. Wait until the reaction stops cycling between colors. When the reaction stops, the solution will be a brown/purple color.
  8. Carefully pour this solution down the sink with plenty of cold running water to wash it down. Be careful with this solution, as it contains iodine and will stain surfaces with which it comes in contact.
  9. Repeat the steps 1–8 two more times using solutions A and B. Remember, there will be some of solution A and solution B left over, since you made excess to ensure that you could do the procedure three times with equal amounts of liquid.
    1. You could repeat the procedure a fourth time with the remaining solutions, or dispose of them down a sink with cold running water.

Using Fewer Scoops of Malonic Acid in Solution B

In the following steps you will vary the amount of malonic acid that you add to solution B and test how the color changing behavior of the reaction is affected.

Making Solution A

  1. Clean the cup labeled A with tap water.
  2. Pour 40 ml of distilled water into cup A using the beaker.
  3. Add two scoops of sodium iodate and four level scoops of sulfamic acid.
  4. Swirl gently until the chemicals are dissolved.

Making Solution B

  1. Clean the cup labeled B with tap water.
  2. Add 40 mL of hydrogen peroxide to cup B using the beaker.
  3. Add three rounded scoops of malonic acid to cup B. Note this amount in your lab notebook.
  4. Add a small amount of manganese sulfate, about the size of a grain of rice.
  5. Shake the starch solution bottle, then add 10 drops of the starch solution to cup B.
  6. Swirl the solution to mix the chemicals.

Mixing the Solutions

  1. Mix solutions A and B in cup C.
  2. Clean the cup labeled C with tap water.
  3. Then, follow the same steps for mixing solution A and B as described above. Choose the same method for measuring the color change as before, recording your data either using the sensor app or the stopwatch.
  4. Repeat steps 1–3 two more times with the remaining solutions A and B.
  5. Carefully dispose of the solutions down a sink with cold running water.
  6. You should now continue to repeat Making Solution A through Mixing the Solutions of this section with the following amounts of malonic acid in step 3 of Making Solution B: two scoops, one scoop, then no scoops. You should end up with data for three trials for each of the different malonic acid amounts.

Analyze Your Results

  1. If you used a sensor app to record your data, look at your first recording. The graph should look something like the graph in Figure 3, on the left. You can ignore the spiky part in the beginning that resulted from swirling the cup and mixing solution A and B. If you zoom into the graph (Figure 3, middle and right), you can clearly see how the color change lead to an oscillating pattern of higher and lower light intensity. Where the sensor reading is low, the color of the solution was darker (blue), whereas the light sensor could sense more light when the solution was clearer (yellow or colorless).
Three example graphs of ambient light over time

The left graph shows a ambient light data for the whole reaction. The middle and right graphs (zoomed-in sections of the left graph) of ambient light show the same data but each graph has a marker at different spots in the graph. The lux values rise and fall in regular intervals and are representative of the color change occurring in the solution the light is shining through. The markers are placed at the lowest point on either side of a lux spike and can be used to determine the oscillation period.


Figure 3. Example data from the phyphox app. The x-axis of the graph shows time in seconds [s] and the y-axis is light intensity in lux. The image shows how you can determine the oscillation period, or the time in between each color change, from your data.
  1. Measure the time between each color change from yellow to blue, which is indicated by the lowest points in the graph. You can do that by selecting the respective data points using the 'pick data' tool in phyphox. For example, in Figure 3, a color change happened at 28.5 seconds and 44.1 seconds. The difference between them is 15.6 seconds. Do this measurement for each peak in your graph. Note: It might be better to skip the last couple of peaks for your measurements as the oscillation decreases at the end of the reaction.
  2. From all your measurements, calculate the average time in between color change for this one trial. The result tells you the period of your oscillating reaction. A full oscillation period is completed once the reaction gets back to the color at which it started. If you invert the oscillation period (1/15.6) you will get the frequency of the oscillation.
  3. Repeat the measurements and calculations from step 1–3 for the other recordings with the same amount of malonic acid.
  4. Average the times at which you observed the color change for trial 1, 2 and 3, and record the result in your lab notebook.
  5. Repeat steps 1–5 for the other amounts of malonic acid.
  6. Make a graph in which you show how the time in between color change depends on the amount of malonic acid added. Plot the average times at which the color changed to blue, or the oscillation period (in seconds), on the y-axis and the amount of malonic acid (number of scoops) on the x-axis.
  7. What happened as you decreased the amount of malonic acid in the reaction?
  8. From your graph recorded with the sensor app you can also derive how often the color changed back and forth for each reaction. You can determine the number of cycles by counting the number of peaks or valleys from the beginning to the end of the reaction. In Figure 3 (left) this would be about 17 cycles. Again, count these for each individual trial and calculate the average for each amount of malonic acid.
  9. Make another graph that shows the number of color change cycles on the y-axis and the amount of scoops for malonic acid on the x-axis. Which amount of malonic acid resulted in the longest reaction with the most color changes?
  10. Discuss why the changes you observed occurred.
icon scientific method

Ask an Expert

Do you have specific questions about your science project? Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions, offer guidance, and help you troubleshoot.

Global Connections

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Variations

  • Vary other chemical components and discuss your observations about what happens in each case.
  • What happens if there is no starch?
  • The reaction generates gas. How would increasing the pressure above the reaction affect the reaction rate? Devise a way to test your prediction.
  • Vary the temperature; for example, 0, 10, 20, and 30°C.
  • Analyze the timing of the reaction using a digital recorder.
  • The oscillations of the Briggs-Rauscher reaction depend on the presence of free radicals in the solution. Adding antioxidants has been reported to change the oscillations due to their ability to "scavenge" the free radicals. Devise a way to use the Briggs-Rauscher reaction to test a chemical's ability to function as an antioxidant.

Careers

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Career Profile
Everything in the environment, whether naturally occurring or of human design, is composed of chemicals. Chemists search for and use new knowledge about chemicals to develop new processes or products. Read more
Career Profile
The role that the chemical technician plays is the backbone of every chemical, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical manufacturing operation. Chemical technicians conduct experiments, record data, and help to implement new processes and procedures in the laboratory. If you enjoy hands-on work, then you might be interested in the career of a chemical technician. Read more

News Feed on This Topic

 
, ,

Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Minds of Their Own: A Chemical Reaction that Changes, then Changes Back!" Science Buddies, 3 Mar. 2022, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Chem_p097/chemistry/chemical-reaction-that-changes-color. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2022, March 3). Minds of Their Own: A Chemical Reaction that Changes, then Changes Back! Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Chem_p097/chemistry/chemical-reaction-that-changes-color


Last edit date: 2022-03-03
Top
We use cookies and those of third party providers to deliver the best possible web experience and to compile statistics.
By continuing and using the site, including the landing page, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
OK, got it
Free science fair projects.