Why does the Blue Bottle Demostration stop eventually?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Blue Bottle Demonstration, specifically focusing on the chemical processes involved when glucose is added to a NaOH solution with indigo carmine. Participants are exploring why the reaction eventually stops and the role of oxygen in the oxidation of indigo carmine.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the reaction stops due to the depletion of O2, which is necessary for re-oxidizing indigo carmine back to its initial color at equilibrium.
  • Another participant questions the understanding of oxygen's role, noting that any O2 that is oxidized must also be reduced, indicating a potential misunderstanding of the process.
  • A participant describes an observation from a lab where vigorous shaking led to a permanent blue color, raising questions about why the reaction became "stuck" despite the oxidation of O2.
  • There is a mention of indigo carmine being oxidized twice, once for the red color and again for the green color, prompting further inquiry into the specifics of these oxidation steps.
  • One participant speculates on the nature of the redox reactions involved, suggesting that the reactions may be successive and involve multiple electrons, but expresses uncertainty about the reversibility of these reactions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the role of oxygen in the reaction and the specifics of the oxidation processes, indicating that multiple competing views remain and the discussion is unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in understanding the specifics of the oxidation/reduction reactions involved, including the reversibility of these reactions and the exact role of oxygen in the process.

dumbadum
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I'm trying to finish a lab report on the Blue Bottle Demostration where glucose is added to a solution of NaOH. Then Indigo carmine is added so the solution would go from red to yellow to green (My teacher called it the stop light reaction :D)
I need to figure out why does the process eventually stop.
Here is what I think:
Since O2 in the flask is what re-oxidizes the indigo carmine to reform the initial colour at equilibrium, without O2, the reaction will eventually stop.
My question is, what happened to the O2 that oxidizes the indigo carmine? does it just stay there?
 
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What I meant was that when we did the lab in class, when we shook the solution very vigorously, the solution turned blue and never turned back. If all O2 oxidized are then reduced, why did the reaction get stuck?
One more question:
I read on the internet that indigo carmine was oxidized twice, once to give the red colour, and once more to give the green colour. How?
Thanks!
 
I'm not too familiar with this lab, but the reaction with glucose is the first oxidation/reduction reaction with the indicator, the next reaction involves the indicator with oxygen gas, that is the electrons are allocated to the oxygen. I'm not quite sure how reversible this particular oxidation/reduction reaction is. You should access the reaction products for this second reaction.

I'm guessing that the redox reaction in this case are successive, remember that two electrons are involved in the reaction.
 

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