WATERS OF MANY COLORS AND PURPLE FLARE

Abstract

The experiment was conducted determine the color changes from the reactions between
iron (III) ammonium sulfate with different solutions of KSN, BaCl2, K4Fe(CN)6, Tannic acid
(C76H52O46), Tartaric acid (C4H6O6), and NaHSO3. Furthermore, note the reaction that occurs
between Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and glycerin. The following chemical compounds
were prepared in a test tube: KSCN, BaCl 2, K4Fe(CN)6, Tannic acid and Tartaric acid. Each of
those chemical compounds were dissolved in water then were added with Iron (III) ammonium
sulfate, Fe(NH4(SO4)2 and the resulted colors were recorded. KSCN was red in color as seen by
the human eye, BaCl2 was white, K4Fe(CN)6 was blue, Tannic acid was black, Tartaric acid was
green and lastly, NaHSO3 was amber in color. A cone-shaped pile of potassium permanganate
was formed, on top of it, a depression was made and was poured a few drops of glycerin. A
reaction of spontaneous combustion was observed.

Introduction

Complex ions containing transition metals are usually colored as compared to ions from
non-transition metals. It suggests that the partially filled d orbitals have something to do why
they have colors. This can be explained by looking at octahedral complexes. Octahedral
complexes have six ligands attached to it that are arranged around the central metal ion. When
these ligands bond with the transition metal ions, a repulsion happens between the electrons in
the transition metal and the ligands. This raises the energy of the d orbitals. However, since the
ligands are not arranged the same way in space it does not raise all their energies by the same
amount. Splitting occurs instead. When white light is passed through a solution of this ion, some
of the energy in the light is used to promote an electron from the lower set of orbitals into a space
in the upper set. Each wavelength of light has a particular energy associated with it. Red light has
the lowest energy in the visible region. Violet light has the greatest energy. Suppose that the
energy gap in the d orbitals of the complex ion corresponded to the energy of yellow light. The
yellow light would be absorbed because its energy would be used in promoting the electron. That
leaves the other colors. Your eye would see the light passing through as a dark blue, because
blue is the complementary color of yellow (Clark, 2014).
 Combustion reaction is a reaction in which a substance reacts with oxygen, usually with
the release of heat and light to produce a flame (Chang, 2010). Combustion describes how the
reaction happens, not the reactants and products. Chemists as early as Lavoisier suggested that
people get their energy from combustion-like reactions, but even though the products and
reactants are the same when you burn food in a fire and in your body, the way it happens is
different. In a combustion reaction, the thing that burns (the reactant that isn't O 2 or F2) is called
the fuel. Combustion reactions are a type of redox reaction.

The experiment was due to help the author being a chemistry major student fully discern
the colors of complexes and redox reaction. Furthermore, the experiment was conducted to
determine the color changes from the reactions between iron (III) ammonium sulfate with
different solutions of KSN, BaCl2, K4Fe(CN)6, Tannic acid (C76H52O46), Tartaric acid (C4H6O6),
and NaHSO3. Furthermore, note the reaction that occurs between Potassium permanganate
(KMnO4) and glycerin.

Experimental (Methods and Materials)

In the course of the laboratory experiment, the instructor intensely explained the
procedures of this experiment based on the laboratory manual of Chem 117.1- Inorganic
Chemistry I Lab. The material used on the experiment were the following: test tubes, wire gauze,
tripod, KSCN, BaCl2, K4Fe(CN)6, Tannic acid, Tartaric acid, Iron (III) ammonium sulfate,
potassium permanganate and glycerin. The experiment was divided into two parts. In part A was
differentiation of the solids from the colors of its respective aqueous solutions upon the addition
of iron(III) ammonium sulfate while part B was the observation of the reaction exhibited by the
potassium permanganate upon the addition of glycerin as a reagent.

In part A, a 0.5g of potassium thiocyanate, barium chloride, potassium ferrocyanide,

tannic acid, tartaric acid and sodium bisulfite were each dissolved in a test tube with a minimum
amount of water and labelled accordingly. Afterwards, 5g of iron(lll) ammonium sulfate was
dissolved in a beaker with 500mL of water. Each test tube was then added a few mL of iron(lll)
ammonium sulfate and the reactions were taken into account which included the change in color
of the solution which was the focus of the exercise.

In part B, potassium permanganate was prepared in a cone-shaped pile atop a wire gauze.
The top of the pile was then hollowed in such a way that addition of reagent resulted to an
efficient penetration into the powdered compound. Solution of glycerin was then poured into the
hollow of potassium permanganate and the reaction was recorded accordingly.

Results and Discussion

Table 1. Color change of solutions upon the addition of iron(lll) ammonium sulfate.

Given Compound Observation

KSCN Red
BaCl2 White
K4Fe(CN)6 Blue
Tannic acid (C76H52O46) Black
Tartaric acid (C4H6O6) Green
NaHSO3 Amber

Table 1 shows the color formed after addition of iron (III) ammonium sulfate to the six
given compounds: KSCN, BaCl2, K4Fe(CN)6, Tannic acid (C76H52O46), Tartaric acid (C4H6O6),
and NaHSO3.. This coloration was due to complexion. Transition metals formed complex with
some ligands and these complexes were colored in nature. Some colorations of the solutions
were also due to precipitation where the solids formed had a characteristic. When KSCN was
added with a few amount of Fe(NH4)(SO4)2 the Fe+3 ion formed bond with SCN- and formed a
red complex, which the reaction is shown in equation 1. Furthermore, it created a fair split of d-
orbital because of this splitting, the energy that the compound absorbed was from the range of
the green light. This meant that the complementary of the color green which was red became
visible to the human eye (Clark, 2014).
Fe+3 + SCN- FeSCN+2 (eq.1)

The reaction of BaCl2 and iron (III) ammonium sulfate was precipitation reaction. Ba+2
reacted with SO4-2 ions producing a cloudy white precipitate. The cloudiness gave a white
solution after addition of iron (III) ammonium sulfate. The white precipitate formed was BaSO 4.
The chemical reaction is shown below:

Fe(NH4)(SO4)2 (aq) + 2BaCl2 (aq) 2BaSO4 (s) + NH4Cl (aq) + FeCl3 (aq)
 The K4Fe(CN)6 has Fe(CN)6+4 ions which contain covalent iron-carbon bonds arrange in
arranged in a octahedral manner around the central ion (Housecroft and Sharpe, 2012). When
K4Fe(CN)6 was added with Fe(NH 4)(SO4)2, the Fe+3 ion reacted with K4Fe(CN)4 which resulted
an intensely pigmented complex that was blue-green in color.

K4Fe(CN)6 (aq) + Fe(NH4)(SO4)2 KFe[Fe(CN)6] + NH4 + + 2SO4-2 + 3K+

When tannic acid was added with iron (III) ammonium sulfate, the solution turned black
because tannic acid is an monoprotic acid and removing one H+ it will gave
C6H2(OH)3COOC6H2(OH)2COO- , this is where Fe+3 would formed bonds. One tannate reacted to
one mole of Fe+3. It resulted a complex compound with black in color like an ink (Hem, 1960).
Moreover, the solution of tannic acid and Iron (III) ammonium sulfate absorbed all of the colors
of the spectrum which then yielded a black color. The color black was the mixture of all the
color that was absorbed by the solution. The tartaric acid (C4H6O6) was also treated with the
same solution which resulted a green solution. It was because tartaric acid formed a complex
with Fe+3, where 2 H+ were released in the carboxylic carbon. The reaction is shown below:

Fe+3 + C4H4O6 -2 [Fe(C4H4O6)]-

Lastly, the reaction between NaHSO3 and Iron (III) ammonium sulfate produced an
amber compound. It was because the light that had passed through the solution had all the colors
in it except for the color violet. With this, light yellow color was observed as the complimentary
color of violet. The reaction is shown below:

3NaHSO3 (aq) + Fe(NH4)(SO4)2 (aq) Fe(HSO3)3 (aq) + 3Na+ (aq) + NH4+(aq) + 2SO4 (aq)

In part B, the potassium permanganate was prepared in a cone shape atop a wire gauze.
The top of the pile was then hollowed in such a way that addition of reagent resulted to an
efficient penetration into the powdered compound. A few seconds later after a few drops of
glycerin was poured to potassium permanganate, the mixture flared-up, it was because KMnO4
known a powerful oxidizer and reacts with the carbon-hydrogen bonds in glycerin. Thus,
spontaneous combustion occurred which released heat and light that had produced the purple
colored flame at room temperature. Furthermore, redox reaction take place in the experiment
which the Oxidizer such as Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4) take electrons, while
the reducer such as Glycerin and Glycerol give electrons. When the electrons were transferred
between the reactants, it is usually by the transfer of oxygen atoms. This means that the glycerin
was Oxidized, or the KMnO4 was Reduced, then one can see it as glycerin would receive oxygen
atoms from the KMnO4. The KMnO4 was then reduced, losing oxygen atoms, while the glycerin
was oxidized or gains oxygen atoms. The reaction between KMnO4 and Glycerin is shown
below:

14KMnO4(s) + 4 C3H5(OH)3(l)      7K2CO3(s + 7Mn2O3(s) + 5CO2(g) + 16H2O(g)

Conclusion

Based on the results, the students were able to determine the color changes of KSCN,
BaCl2, K4Fe(CN)6, Tannic acid (C76H52O46), Tartaric acid (C4H6O6), and NaHSO3 trough the
reactions upon addition iron (III) ammonium sulfate and its complementary color. Furthermore,
noted that potassium permanganate was a spontaneous combustion reaction upon the oxidation
of glycerol.

Reference
Housecroft, C. and Sharpe A. G., (2012). Inorganic Chemistry. 4th Edition. Harlow: Pearson.
p.749

Hem, J.D. 1960. Complexes of Ferrous Ion with Tannic Acid. Chemistry of Iron in Natural
Waters. United States Government Printing Office, Washington.

Clark, J. (2014). THE COLOURS OF COMPLEX METAL IONS. Retrieved on May 14, 2019
from: https://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/complexions/colour.html

Chang, R. 2010. CHEMISTRY 10th Edition. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. p.141