The ACS Chem Club Booth. Pictured from left to right: Micah Bongo, President Jasmine Hakim, Secretary Alexis Kennedy, and Student Clubs Representative Nicole Ackerman.
This year at Club Day, SCC Chemistry Club wowed the general student population at SCC once again with the ACS booth. The main attraction of the booth this year was the “Blue Bottle Reaction”, which is known for its color changing properties, going from blue to clear, and back to blue if shaken. To make this solution, Sodium Hydroxide and Glucose were dissolved in water with a little bit of Methylene Blue, which is an indicator used to detect oxidizing or reducing environments.
Bonus Content: Club Advisor Bill Miller at the Cupcake Chuck across the walkway from the Chem Club booth.
The reaction runs like this: Upon shaking the bottle, the methylene blue is oxidized by oxygen, and turns blue. As the bottle sits, the glucose gradually reduces the methylene blue back, turning the solution clear. This reaction is repeatable, which gives it the color changing aesthetic.
The booth also had the much coveted Chem Club t-shirts for sale, along with local Sacramento ACS pins, paper spectrometers, and two very informative poster boards respectively talking about the methylene blue reaction and SCC Chem Club’s first year.
