Brew up interest in redox with this quick reduction

By 2023-01-23T10:00:00

A round glass flask holding blue liquid and a teabag

Source: © Declan Fleming

Use this fresh, fast approach to demonstrate the colourful oxidation states of vanadium

The classic technicolour demonstration reducing vanadium(V) with zinc is an engaging way to teach the predictability of redox reactions to secondary school students. Sadly, it takes time and so it’s hard to complete it in a single lesson. Chemistry teacher Declan Fleming has redesigned this practical with the help of the online teaching community, to give you a reliable, rapid reaction easily completed in a single session – leaving plenty of time for discussion or other demos. See how Declan got this practical in the bag, and use the supporting technician notes to bring some colour to your lesson.

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