BLUE BOTTLE EXPERIMENT

CHEMISTRY

DEMONSTRATION EXPERIMENT IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

 DEMONSTRATION
EXPERIMENT IN
SECONDARY STAGE II

524 013 BLUE BOTTLE EXPERIMENT

Sensor-CASSY 2
EXPERIMENT C2.2.2.2
The blue bottle experiment is a favourite demonstration experiment in practical
lectures. In the classic version, the experimenter shakes a bottle filled with a
clear liquid which then turns blue. After a while the liquid becomes colourless,
524 220
CASSY Lab 2
but then turns blue again through shaking.

The experiment is based on the redox indicator, methylene blue. Methylene blue
is blue in its oxidised form, and in its reduced form, the so-called leucometh-
ylene blue, it's colourless.

Here, the reducing sugar glucose acts as the reducing agent. It reduces meth-
ylene blue to colourless leucomethylene blue. By shaking, oxygen diffuses
through the solution and re-oxidises the leucomethylene blue to methylene
blue. This is then reduced again by the glucose. The reaction continues to run
CONTENTS OF THE BLUE BOTTLE EXPERIMENT until there is no more oxygen available in the air or the glucose reducing agent
has been depleted.
Cat. No. Designation
524 013 Sensor-CASSY 2 Our version is a modification of the classic blue bottle experiment. Instead
524 220 CASSY Lab 2 of shaking, the air is pumped through the reaction mixture. This takes place
524 069 Immersion photometer S automatically. The transmission of the solution is continually measured using
666 425 Profile frame C50, two rows, for CPS an immersion photometer. As soon as the solution has become colourless, air is
666 438 Woulff‘s bottle with manometer, CPS pumped through until the solution is coloured deep blue again. The pump then
667 3095 Screw cap, GL 45, mB switches off automatically. The solution slowly loses its colour and the process
667 3107 Silicone gasket, GL 45/26, set of 10 then begins anew.
666 482 Aeration pump, controllable, CPS
501 44 Connecting leads 19 A, 25 cm, red/blue, pair
667 7977 Compact balance 440-3N, 200 g: 0.01 g
664 157 Watch glass dish, 125 mm diam.
TOPICS
666 966 Spoon-ended spatula, SS, 180 mm
666 003 Pipetting ball (Peleus ball)
The use of carbohydrates such as glucose as
665 996 Graduated pipette 5 ml reducing agents
665 756 Measuring cylinder 500 ml with plastic base
604 501 PVC tubing 7 mm diam., 1 m
Performing the blue bottle experiment in a new,
604 460 Hose clamp 8...12 mm
automated version
602 347
673 2920
Laboratory bottle to DIN standard, 500 ml , GL 45
Löffler's methylene blue solution, 100 ml
Setting up and using a two-point control system
673 6800 Sodium hydroxide pellets, 100 g
Photometry using an immersion photometer
672 1100 D(+)-Glucose, 100 g
675 3400 Water, pure, 1 L Learning about organic redox reactions and the
additionally required: PC with Windows XP/Vista/7/8 redox indicator methylene blue
C2.2.2.2 Blue bottle experiment

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