ERIC Number: EJ1287195
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Feb
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
The Briggs-Rauscher Reaction: A Demonstration of Sequential Spatiotemporal Patterns
Li, Zhuoxuan; Yuan, Ling; Liu, Mengfei; Cheng, Zhenfang; Zheng, Juhua; Epstein, Irving R.; Gao, Qingyu
Journal of Chemical Education, v98 n2 p665-668 Feb 2021
The Briggs-Rauscher reaction is a popular demonstration to illustrate chemical oscillations in laboratories, classrooms, and public seminars because of its simplicity and visual appeal. Here, we adapt the Briggs-Rauscher reaction to present reaction-diffusion-convection patterns in the undergraduate general or physical chemistry laboratory. By maintaining the ratio between malonic acid and potassium iodate concentrations as 0.2 in an uncovered Petri dish, sequential patterns (transient dendritic patterns and rotating dendritic patterns) can be observed, which are induced by the interaction of reaction, diffusion, and convection. This beautiful demonstration captures students' attention and inspires reflection and discussion about similar phenomena in nature as well as the wealth of behaviors in systems far from equilibrium.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Chemistry, Undergraduate Study, College Science, Scientific Concepts, Concept Formation, Demonstrations (Educational), Science Laboratories
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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