Looks Like Blood

Scientific Concept: A soluble metal complex is created when two soluble salts combine. Complex formation is formed and the water turns blood red.

Materials:

• 500 ml glass cylinder
• glass funnel
• filter paper
• 2 measuring spatulas
• potassium thiocyanate (solid)
• ferric chloride (solid)
• water
• eye dropper

Procedure: Fill the cylinder with 500 ml of water. Then place 2-3 spatulas of potassium thiocyanate into the cylinder. Wet the filter paper and divide it into fourths and place it into the funnel. Run some water through the funnel to make sure that it works. Then place the funnel into the cylinder.

Next add some more water into the funnel so that you do not have any potassium thiocyanate in there before you do the experiment. Then place 1 spatula of ferric chloride into the funnel. Next use the eyedropper to put water onto the ferric chloride, to dissolve it and carry it down the funnel. You should shortly see a blood like liquid coming out of the funnel.

Introduction: Halloween is coming up so I decided to see if I could have or create anything around the house that would be kind of scary. Then finally I had an idea I can make (put the eye drops in) Dracula's blood. Do you think that this would be scary enough?

Explanation: There was ferric chloride in the funnel. The ferric chloride dissolves when the water is added to it and it travels down the tube of the funnel. When it contacts the water which has potassium thiocyanate, it creates a blood red color. This causes a complex formation between the iron and thiocyanate ions.

FeCl₃ + 3 K(SCN) ---> Fe(SCN)₃ + 3 KCl

Disposal: It is safe to pour the remains down the drain.

Reference: de Vos, Wobbe, Using Large Glass Cylinders To Demonstrate Chemical Reactions, J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 528. (April 1999)