TEACH | Chemistry

The chemical chameleon

demonstration produces
vivid colour changes as a
result of redox reactions.

IanRedding/Shutterstock.com
Colourful chemistry: redox
reactions with lollipops
Use a lollipop to activate colour-changing redox reactions
in this simple but eye-catching activity.

By Marisa Prolongo and Gabriel Pinto

Teaching oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions is part of from a lollipop is used as the reducing agent. When glucose
all secondary-school chemistry curricula. In this article, we is added to a solution containing OH– ions, the alcohol groups
describe a vivid colour-changing demonstration to illustrate in the glucose donate electrons, giving rise to ketone groups:
a chain of redox reactions, whereby electrons are transferred
between different compounds and ions. The activity is –C(H)(OH)– + 2OH– à –C(=O)– + 2H2O + 2e–
suitable as a teacher demonstration, or older students could
(secondary alcohol) (ketone group)
carry out the experiment themselves.
In our experiment, glucose is added to a permanganate
solution together with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), so
Oxidising and reducing agents electrons from glucose (C6H12O6) are first donated to
A redox reaction is any chemical reaction in which a permanganate ions (MnO4–). The oxidation products of the
molecule, atom or ion loses or gains electrons, altering its reducing sugar are mainly glucuronic acid (C6H10O7,), plus
oxidation state. An oxidising agent gains electrons (and is some arabinonic acid (C5H10O6) and formic acid (CH2O2).
reduced in the reaction) and a reducing agent loses electrons If the lollipop is made from fructose, which is an isomer of
(and is oxidised in the reaction). In this experiment, glucose glucose, the main product is fructonic acid (also C6H10O7).

www.scienceinschool.org I Science in School I Issue 43 : Spring 2018 I 41

Chemistry | TEACH

In a series of redox reactions, electrons

are donated continually from glucose to
successive compounds of manganese.
At each step in the chain, a colour
change is visible. Manganese is ideal
for this experiment, as it has more
stable oxidation states than any other
transition metal (from +2 to +7), each of
which has a different colour.
You may be familiar with the classic
‘chemical chameleon’ demonstrationw1,
of which this experiment is an
adaptation. In the original version, you
begin with a potassium permanganate
and glucose solution, which changes
colour upon mixing with a spatula. By
using a lollipop instead, the glucose is
added more gradually to the solution,

Marisa Prolongo
which makes it easier to follow the
colour changes. Using a miniature
electric whisk means the lollipop is
stirred faster than by hand. Figure 1: Materials required for the lollipop experiment

Materials Procedure
Chemistry
You will need the following materials The activity is suitable for a single
Redox reactions (see figure 1): lesson. The experiment takes only about
· Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) 15 minutes and can be followed up by a
Ages 16–19 crystals set of discussion questions.
· Spherical lollipop containing glucose The steps are as follows:
The redox chemistry of (or other reducing sugar,
manganese is a fascinat-
1. Fill the flask or beaker with 200 ml
e.g. fructose) of distilled water.
ing aspect of transition
· 3–4 sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
metal chemistry. This 2. Stir in the NaOH pellets with the
pellets (approximately 0.5 g)
spoon until they have dissolved
REVIEW

simple practical exercise

helps students to famil-
· 200 ml distilled water completely.
iarise themselves with the · 250 ml conical flask or beaker 3. Using the spatula, add a few
variable oxidation states (glass or plastic) potassium permanganate crystals
of manganese and their · Spoon and spatula (not too many, or the colour will be
respective colours. · Miniature electric whisk, too dark to see the changes). When
Observing the different e.g. hand-held milk frother potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
colours will elicit discus- · Adhesive tape is added to the alkaline NaOH
sion and will be a point solution, it dissolves into potassium
Safety note:
of focus for understanding (K+) and permanganate (MnO4–)
what is happening in the A lab coat, gloves and safety goggles ions.
redox steps in the reaction. should be worn. Teachers should
4. Attach the stick of the unwrapped
follow their local health and safety
lollipop to the mini electric whisk
rules, in particular concerning the use
Andrew Galea, chemistry using adhesive tape (see figure 1).
of potassium permanganate and the
lecturer, Giovanni Curmi 5. Insert the lollipop into the solution
disposal of the resulting solution. See
Higher Secondary School, and switch on the whisk to start
also the general safety note on the
Malta mixing.
Science in School website and at the
end of this print issue.

42 I Issue 43 : Spring 2018 I Science in School I www.scienceinschool.org

 TEACH | Chemistry

As the lollipop dissolves into the 1. The first colour (purple) corresponds has an oxidation state of +5 and a
solution, you will observe colour to permanganate ions (MnO4–). blue colour.
changes for each redox reaction. The Manganese has the oxidation state MnO4–(aq) (purple) + 2e–
first two changes happen very rapidly +7 (figure 2). → MnO43–(aq) (blue)
(3–5 seconds), while further changes 2. The permanganate ions (MnO4–) are
take a little longer. Students can take 3. The manganate ions (MnO42–),
then reduced to manganate ions
photos (e.g. with the camera of a which have an oxidation state
(MnO42–). The oxidation state of
mobile phone) at various time points of +6, are further reduced to
manganese changes from +7 to +6,
to better compare and follow the manganese dioxide (MnO2), with
and the colour changes from purple
changes in colour. A video from the an oxidation state of +4, causing
to green (figure 4).
authors demonstrating the experiment is a colour change from green to
MnO4–(aq) (purple) + e– yellow-brown (figure 5).
available in Spanishw2.
→ MnO42–(aq) (green)
MnO42–(aq) (green) + 2 H2O(l) + 2e–
An intermediate blue stage occurs
→ MnO2(s) + 4OH–(aq)
What happens in the between steps 1 and 2 (figure
(yellow-brown)
3). One explanation is that the
experiment? mixture contains both the purple 4. Finally, when even more glucose
As the lollipop dissolves in the solution permanganate (MnO4–) and the is incorporated into the solution,
containing manganese ions, at least five green manganate ions (MnO42–), brown-black manganese dioxide
different colours can be distinguished which combine to produce a blue (MnO2) forms a colloidal
(as shown in figures 2–6), which solution. Another explanation is that suspension in alkaline solution,
correspond to different oxidation states a part of permanganate is reduced which (if fairly dilute) can appear
of manganese. to hypomanganate (MnO43–), which orange (figure 6).

Figure 2: The first colour in Figure 3: Before the colour Figure 4: Permanganate ions Figure 5: Manganate ions Figure 6: The final colour
the chain of redox reactions changes from purple to are reduced to manganate are reduced to manganese change is to orange, when
is purple, which corresponds green, there is a blue ions, resulting in a colour dioxide, causing the colour to manganese dioxide forms a
to the permanganate ions. intermediate stage. change to green. change from green to yellow- colloidal suspension in the
brown. alkaline solution.
Marisa Prolongo

www.scienceinschool.org I Science in School I Issue 43 : Spring 2018 I 43

Chemistry | TEACH

Variations in colour
Permanganate ions (MnO4-) Manganate ions (MnO42-) Manganese dioxide (MnO2)
The food colours used in lollipops do
not have a big impact on the colours
you see in this experiment, but some
other factors do play a role. Once the
reactions start, there are always mixtures
of ions in the solution, resulting in
mixtures of colours that are not always
easy to interpret (see figure 7).
Another factor is that the colour
of manganese ions in solution is

Nicola Graf
generally different from the colour
of their corresponding solid salts.
This is because manganese ions
Figure 7: Colours of the three main manganese compounds (top row) and example mixtures of these
form complexes with water due to
compounds as the redox reactions proceed (bottom row)
the electron-accepting capacity of
their atomic d-orbitals. In addition,
the tendency for molecules to
accept electrons varies with pH and
temperature, so if you change these Electron configuration and transition metals
variables or the quantities of the
chemicals, the colours will vary, and the Electrons are arranged in energy levels called shells. Each shell is divided
colour changes will occur at different into subshells, which are made up of orbitals. Transition metals have one
times between experiments. or more electrons in their outermost d-orbital. The difference in energy
between individual d-orbital electrons is relatively small, so all transition
metal cations have a variety of ways of forming chemical bonds
involving different numbers of d-orbital electrons. This is why transition
Discussion metals have several oxidation states.
To link the lollipop demonstration to When electrons absorb certain frequencies of electromagnetic radiation,
the chemistry of redox reactions, ask they jump to a higher energy level. In many transition metals, the
your students some of the following difference in energy between d-orbitals corresponds to the energy
questions: of radiation of the visible light spectrum. For example, the d-orbital
BACKGROUND

· In the experiment, what is the electrons of permanganate ions absorb electromagnetic radiation from
reducing agent that donates the yellow part of the visible spectrum, but what we see as the colour
electrons in the redox reactions? of permanganate ions is the colour complementary to yellow – that is,
This depends on which reducing purple. We see the colour of the remaining wavelengths that were not
sugar you use, but in our experiment, absorbed (figure 8).
the reducing agent is glucose
(C6H12O6). 750 nm 400 nm

· What is the oxidising agent that

accepts the electrons?
630 nm 430 nm
The first oxidising agent in the
reaction is the permanganate ions.
After that, electrons are donated to
manganate ions.
· Does potassium permanganate
in solution absorb the part of
visible light that corresponds to
Nicola Graf

590 nm 480 nm
the colour we see (green) or to its
complementary colour (red)?
Potassium permanganate absorbs
electromagnetic radiation 560 nm
from the red part of the visible
Figure 8: The colour of the solution is the colour that is complementary (i.e. opposite on the
spectrum, but what we see as the
colour wheel) to the wavelength of light absorbed by d-orbital electrons.
colour of manganate ions is the
complementary colour, green.

44 I Issue 43 : Spring 2018 I Science in School I www.scienceinschool.org

 TEACH | Chemistry

· Do you know of any other chemical Acknowledgements Resources

elements that show different colours For ideas on introducing redox reactions using
This article is based on a presentation
in different oxidation states in everyday examples, see:
at the Spanish Science on Stage festival
solution? Voak H (2016) Redox resources. Science
(Ciencia en Acción) in 2014. This work
Examples include: chromium in School 36. www.scienceinschool.org/
was first carried out by students at IES content/redox-resources
(Cr2O72–, orange; CrO42–, yellow) and Manuel Romero Secondary School in To try a colour-change experiment involving
vanadium (V2+, violet; V3+, green; Málaga, Spain. We are grateful for the pH-sensitive plant dyes, see:
VO2+, blue; VO43–, yellow) support of the Technical University of Shimamoto GG, Vitorino Rossi A (2005) An
· What are the main uses of Madrid (Universidad Politécnica de artistic introduction to anthocyanin inks.
manganese, for example in biology Madrid) for the projects ‘Promotion of Science in School 31: 32–36.
or industry? experimental learning of chemistry’ www.scienceinschool.org/content/
Manganese compounds are used and ‘Chem-Innova’, and of the Spanish artistic-introduction-anthocyanin-inks
in stainless steels and batteries, Royal Society of Chemistry (Real _________________________________
and as fuel additives and pigments. Sociedad Española de Química, RSEQ).
Manganese is also an essential
Marisa Prolongo is a physics and
cofactor for many enzymes, such Web references chemistry teacher currently working
as photosystem II in chloroplasts. w1 For variations of the experiment, visit at Principia, an interactive science
However, in large amounts it is toxic the Science Brothers website and the
museum in Málaga, Spain. She has
to humans. Hobby Chemistry website. See: www.
sciencebrothers.org/the-chemical-
more than two decades of teaching
chameleon/ and https://hobbychemistry. experience, including a variety of
Variations of the experiment wordpress.com/2015/03/31/ student-centred learning methods and
chemical-chameleon/ activities.
This experiment can be performed in a
w2 A video of the experiment is available in Gabriel Pinto is a professor at the
number of different ways. For example, Spanish on YouTube and the IES Manuel
rather than using a lollipop, you could Technical University of Madrid, Spain,
Romero Secondary School website. See:
use a chewing gum containing sugar www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pE3U7UkIqc
where he has been teaching chemistry
as the reducing agent; or instead of or http://iesmanuelromero.es/index.php/es/ to engineers for 32 years. He has been
adding the glucose to a flask, you noticias/132-noticias-curso-2013-14/519- involved in a number of STEM outreach
could add it to a plastic bottle and experimentos-de-ciencias programmes and activities for students.
shake it to observe the colour changes Marisa and Gabriel are Scientix
(see figure 9). Your students could use ambassadors and have taken part in
their creativity to think of alternative many national and international science
experiments. festivals and workshops presenting
experiments for STEM education.
Marisa Prolongo

Figure 9: An alternative experimental setup using chewing gum and a plastic bottle

www.scienceinschool.org I Science in School I Issue 43 : Spring 2018 I 45