[lazymjs]

Hi...I posted this question on the High school forum...but it may require a higher knowledge level....I need help finding a combination of chemicals that will:
       1st.....Turn a 1 pint container of clear water black.
       2nd....a chemical red in color that will turn the black
                water to a snow white.
 So my sequence is clear water turned to black...red water added
 to turn solution to white.
       Appreciate your help

[skyjumper]

Why so specific? You may be able to do something with some kind of iodine complex... A red liquid is the main problem.. there are so many other color change reactions.

[Jorriss]

What a strange project. What's this for?

[lazymjs]

Hi...This project assignment is part of a course in my ecumenical college,  it has not been accomplished before.   The demonstration, if the project is successful, will be used to hold the interest of young adults and impress upon them they are born pure (clear water) the world around them will attempt to corrupt them (water turning black), but the blood of Jesus (red liquid as a sign of the death on the cross) will purify them (turning the black to snow white).   This assignment has been made for several years without success and will guarantee a high mark and perks for the successful team.  But I cannot find where anyone in the past turned to chemists for guidance,  that is why I came to this forum where I felt the knowledge was the greatest.

[Jorriss]

Didn't see that response coming. I'll think about it.

[hobobot]

Concentrated permanganate solutions are pretty close to black. And it turns clear after an oxidation.

Let's say you had an indicator that was red at around ph = 5.5. You could put some in 99% isopropanol and then oxidize it with the permanganate.

Getting the right indicator at the right pH would be the hard part....and by hard, I mean I have no idea what to use.

[lazymjs]

Hi...Being a Bible college chemistry is not part of our program, so I may not be able to follow all your terms....it seems most of the other attempts have been made using ink to blacken the water and then bleach colored with red dye to turn the black to white.  This route has been unsuccessful.  Our professor is strong on developing this for christian demonstrations.  It appears no effort has been made to tap the knowledge available in this forum.  I really appreciate the fact that you would take the time to look at this project and give thought to it.

[Jorriss]

Does anyone know any red oxidizing agents? I have very poor descriptive chemistry my self so I can't think of anything.

Lazymjs, as far as I know, most bleach's are oxidizing agents. So, maybe if we find a red oxidizing agent, it could have a similar effect.

The black part, I'm not sure. I don't want to just say add food coloring because I don't know the composition of food colorings

[Woofuls]

Prepare starch-iodine complex with excess sulfuric acid (look up ascorbic acid test). This will be blue-black.

In another flask, prepare phenolphthalein solution and add a sufficient amount of vitamin C to react with all iodine (and more) in the other flask. Add sufficient base to cause solution to become red.

Carefully (acid/base reactions can cause trouble) add red solution to the blue-black... it could potentially break up the starch complex and leave the solution clear since it should be still acidic...

Might not work, but it is an idea.

[skyjumper]

Maybe take distilled water and add some HI to make it acidic and help with dissolving the iodine. During the demo, add a scoop (a small amount should do) of iodine powder, with a quick mix it should dissolve (if not, add more HI) Now, prepare a soln. of sodium thiosulphate NaOH to make it basic and phenolphthalein, to get a deep red soln. (add more NaOH to deepen the color) Mix them., and if the proportions are right, the thiosulphate will react with the iodine to clear the liquid, and the excess of HI will cause the red to shift to clear.

HI may be replaced with a combination of any preferably, strong acid (HCl, H2SO4 etc.) and a metal iodide.

I do not know about the "snow" Maybe some insoluble calcium something in the "blood" that would be hidden by the deep red of the indicator

[lazymjs]

Thank you Woofuls & Skyjumper...I will try to round up some of these chemicals and try to follow your instructions.

[MOTOBALL]

A possible route may be something like this,

1.  Prepare a solution of silver nitrate in water @ known concentration (maybe 1 gm per pint)----COLORLESS

2.  To (1), add slowly with vigorous stirring (a calculated amount of) a solution of dilute ammonia to precipitate silver oxide-----BLACK

Care, since excess NH4OH will dissolve the Ag2O (See CAUTION below)

3.  Prepare a solution of dilute hydrochloric acid that contains an indicator (methyl red or methyl orange)-----RED

4.  To (2), add sufficient of (3) to not quite neutralize the ammonia (require small excess of NH4OH to turn indicator pale yellow) and precipitate silver chloride---SNOW-WHITE

CAUTION----Silver oxide dissolves in xs. ammonia to potentially form a second black solid which is explosive !!!!!!!!!!  Do not leave such solutions sitting around.

Since you do not have a chemistry program at your college, please contact a professor of inorganic chemistry at a nearby college to review this methodology, especially the CAUTION before you try it.

[skyjumper]

I thought about Silver nitrate, but that is very expensive, and personally, I would do the "silvering a flask" reaction, take Silver nitrate, add ammonia (drop wise) creating a black precipitate.

Stop adding ammonia once the precipitate formed, now switch to another ammonia solution, this time with some indicator, to make it  red. Add it until it dissolves. Now, add a solution of dextrose and KOH to it. stopper and shake the flask. A silver (hopefully, not redsilver) mirror forms. Jesus's blood has turned some nasty brown/gray stuff to a silver mirror. (makes a nice keepsake too, train the solution and rinse the inside with some kind of a sealing solution like a clearcoat.)

[lazymjs]

Thank you all....it will take me a while to round up everything and give these a try.