Hooked on science: powerful bleach
You may have added bleach to your recent load of laundry, but have you ever wondered how bleach works? “Science Guy” Jason Lindsey and a kid scientist show us the power behind bleach. INGREDIENTS one space· Water one space· Bleach one space· Green Food Coloring one space· 2 18oz Transparent Plastic Cups INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1: Fill one of the 18oz transparent plastic cups half of the way with water. Add two drops of green food coloring to the water and mix. STEP 2: Fill the other 18oz transparent plastic cup one fourth of the way with bleach STEP 3: Pour the bleach into the cup with the green food coloring and water. Continue to mix the ingredients by pouring the contents back and forth into each cup several times and observe. EXPLANATION The bleach works by releasing oxygen molecules in a process called oxidation. The released oxygen molecules break the chemical bonds of chromophores. A chromophore is the part of the molecule that gives an object color. Once the chemical bonds of the chromophores are changed, they either reflect no color or a color outside the visible spectrum. Go to www.hookedonscience.org for more experiments that might get you and your family “Hooked on Science.”
