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Teachers TV
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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.
The Pulsing Reaction
From the Teachers TV series Demonstrating Chemistry, this video shows how to carry out a stunning demonstration of autocatalysis, whereby the products of one reaction act as a catalyst for the next.
Professor Hal Sosabowski mixes hydrogen peroxide, potassium iodate with sulphuric acid and a mixture of malonic acid, starch and manganese sulphate. He spins the solution in a large measuring cylinder to create a vortex to ensure the oscillating reaction occurs throughout the solution. The colourless solution slowly turns amber and then suddenly turns a very dark blue colour. This slowly fades back to a colourless solution and the process repeats. The reaction is known as the Briggs-Rauscher reaction, although there are other similar pulsing reactions.
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