Today, we introduced our younger secondary students to the concept of redox reactions using the traffic light experiment as a fun analog!

In this experiment, we used a mixture of glucose, indigo carmine, and sodium hydroxide to replicate the three colors of a traffic light: red, yellow, and green. We demonstrated how the interaction of these substances, plus oxygen, resulted in a sequential colour change.

• Reduced State (Yellow):
• When left to stand, no oxygen is mixed in and the glucose is left to reduce the indocarmine, turning the solution yellow. 
• Partially Oxidized State (Red):
• When shaken, oxygen is mixed and the solution is slightly oxidised, turning red.
• Fully Oxidized State (Green):
• When shaken roughly, more oxygen is mixed in and the solution is fully oxidised, turning green.