The “blue bottle” experiment demonstrates a redox reaction. It is one of the most common reactions in chemistry. Redox reactions are the movement of electrons from one substance to another. The word “redox” comes from the concepts of reduction and oxidation. Reduction is the absorption of an electron by an atom. Oxidation is the opposite. It is the loss of an electron by an atom. These two reactions go hand in hand because in a chemical reaction, one reaction cannot occur without the other. The blue bottle experiment is a chemical reaction in which a bottle containing a water solution containing glucose, NaOH, methylene blue, and air becomes colorless. substance to a dark blue substance after stirring. In this reaction, glucose is oxidized by dioxygen and forms C6H12O7 (gluconic acid): CH2OH – CHOH – CHOH – CHOH – CHOH – CHO + 1/2 O2 --> CH2OH – CHOH – CHOH – CHOH – CHOH – COOH. The solution loses its color again after a short time. This color change can be repeated as many times as the bottle is shaken. The first step is the formation of glucose alkenols. During the second stage, the redox reaction o...