Experience with iodine and starch. Useful properties of starch Magic powder starch the most useful program

Beneficial features starch

Useful properties of starch and 20 PRACTICAL WAYS TO USE it

Known to many starch, it turns out, has a lot of useful properties. Quite often it is used in culinary recipes, but even more often it stands idle in a jar among other non-perishable products.

But this white powder can be used for a variety of purposes that you often do not even know about. Believe that this article will make you change your views on this magic powder and look at it in a new way.

1. Wash windows streak-free.

Starch Is a natural abrasive, which the will make cleaning windows much easier. Plus it's very small, so if you add it to your window cleaner, you get streak-free windows.


2. Polish the silverware.

Just add a little starch to the water and your silverware will shine and delight the eye like new.


3. Remove greasy stains.

To get rid of greasy carpet stains, sprinkle with starch. When the dirt is absorbed, just vacuum carpet. If the stain is especially difficult, use a gruel of starch and gasoline (1: 1).


4. Soothe irritated skin.

If you are burned or bitten by some harmful insect, mix the starch with water and rub your skin with this mixture. When everything is dry, you will feel much better. Starch is not only rich in calcium, but also helps to deal with skin irritations. Sprinkle starch on problem areas before putting on your clothes.


5. Get rid of unpleasant odors.

If your old sneakers smell a little bit unpleasant, sprinkle some starch in them and let them sit overnight. The smell will be absorbed. Don't forget to empty the starch before putting on your shoes!


6. Starch your clothes.

Starch spray is an aerosol that facilitates the ironing process, aromatizes and softens the laundry. In order not to buy this expensive product in the store, you can take distilled water, pour it into a spray bottle and add starch there at the rate of 1 tbsp. a spoonful of starch in 1 glass of water. You can also add there fragrant herbs or aromatic oils. When the starch dissolves in the water, the spray is ready to use.


7. Restore the old deck of cards.

If your cards get sticky, put them in an airtight bag of starch, shake, knock off the starch, and voila! - you are ready to go for broke.

8. To restore the damaged leather product.

This life hack is similar to the carpet trick: just sprinkle the starch on a dirty spot on your leather jacket or leather sofa. Leave it on overnight and then wipe off the starch with a damp cloth or paper towel.


9. Make a unique body powder.

Mix starch with a few drops of your favorite essential oils , shake well and get a quick result - a fragrant body powder without any harmful ingredients.


10. Clean up old plush toys.

Put your favorite dog, bear or whatever in your paper bag with starch. Shake and leave overnight. In the morning just vacuum the toy and it will look like new!


11. Prepare a delicious omelet.

Pour some starch into the eggs before you beat them and you will notice a significant difference. Scrambled eggs will look like little egg clouds.


12. Renovate wood furniture.

Mix equal amount starch and water and use this mixture to clean dirty wooden furniture.


13. Refresh old books.

Old books are works of art, but over the years, many smells are eaten into them. A little starch will help fix this.


14. Make a unique dry shampoo.

Sprinkle starch over the roots of your hair and simply comb if you don't have time to shower!


15. Treat squeaky floors.

Sprinkle some starch on the floor, sweep it, and the starch will fill in any cracks. This will help reduce the volume of creaking floors from deafening to bearable.


16. Soothe diaper irritation.

Bathe your baby in a starch bath, and the irritation from the diaper will ease by hand.

17. Make the sauce thicker.

With the help of starch, you can thicken the sauce a little. Plus it's gluten free!

18. Starch will help in caring for animals.

Starch can be used for grooming pets as a dry shampoo: it must be applied to the coat, and then combed with a brush. The dirt will come off along with the starch.

19. Natural deodorant for the gym (and not only).

If you prefer natural hygiene products, rub rubbing alcohol on underarms to block odor, then sprinkle with starch to keep skin dry. And no chemicals!

20. Save the stuck together marshmallows.

If the marshmallows in the bag are stuck together,you need to add a little starch and shake. As a result, the sweet treat will separate without sacrificing flavor and shape.

In this article, you will learn how the reaction of starch and iodine proceeds. This interesting chemical process has practical applications. For example, it helps to find out if starch is contained in a particular product.

First, let's figure out what starch is.

It is a tasteless white powder that resembles flour in its consistency. Starch formula (amylose and amylopectin polysaccharide) - (C₆H₁₀O₅) n.

Amylopectin structure

Starch is the result of a natural process - photosynthesis. For plants, it serves as a kind of reserve of nutrients, for the human body - a supplier of important carbohydrates.

Physical properties of starch

Insoluble in cold water. If you press on the powder with a spoon, thereby pressing it, you hear a characteristic creak due to the friction of the microparticles against each other.

Chemical properties of starch

In hot water (C₆H₁₀O₅) n also does not dissolve, but swells to a thick and viscous substance, forming a colloidal mixture called paste. A solution of starch in water is a non-Newtonian liquid.

If you add acids to water containing starch (for example, H₂SO₄), then you can observe the process of hydrolysis with a decrease in the molecular weight of the substance and the formation of "soluble" starch.

Starch molecules are heterogeneous in their structure.

Also, starch is a polyhydric alcohol that forms ethers and esters during intermolecular dehydration and esterification.

Starch is produced industrially from wheat, potatoes, corn and rice.

However, it is not difficult to get it at home.

Starch application

Starch is widely used for industrial purposes. It finds use in the preparation of substances such as glucose, molasses and ethanol.

Starch is also widely used in textile production. They are used to process fabrics. In paper mills, starch acts as a hydrophilic agent - a material that increases the strength and improves the printability of the paper. It is also used for the manufacture of medicines and food.

In everyday life, almost all of us use this substance: starch, cook jelly, make a paste (a mixture of starch with water and flour), etc.

Starch and iodine reaction


Wheat starch granules reacted with iodine

For this experiment, we will take a 5% alcohol solution, which is used in medicine - it is with it that most reactions are carried out in laboratories.

Starch interacts with iodine to form inclusion compounds, that is, clathrate. This chemical process was discovered back in 1814 by scientists Jean Jacques Colin and Henri-François Gaultier de Clobri.

An inclusion compound is a special compound in which the molecules of one substance are incorporated into the molecular structure of another substance.

In this case, amylose molecules (one of the main starch polysaccharides) will be “hosts”, and iodine molecules will be “guests”. Click to see more unusual iodine experiments.

Experience with starch and iodine at home

This is a fairly simple chemistry experiment that can be done at home and shown to children to instill in them a love of chemistry.

This will require:

  • glass test tube;
  • alcohol solution of iodine;
  • a pinch of starch;
  • room temperature water;
  • stirring stick.

Pour water into a test tube and add 4–5 drops of iodine to it. Add a pinch of starch and mix well with a stick. As a result, you will immediately get a dark blue solution.


The result of the interaction of starch with iodine solution

By the way, this experience can be repeated in another way. For example, drop one drop of iodine into a small pile of starch, the result will be a dark blue spot. Also, iodine can be dripped on half a potato (known for its high starch content). If you put peeled potatoes in cold water, after a while, starch particles will appear in the water. If you hold the peeled potatoes in your hands, starch will also remain on them.

By the way, if you then heat the test tube with a solution of starch, iodine and water on a special chemical burner for 10 seconds, the solution will become colorless. This is due to the fact that the combination of iodine and starch is unstable, but if you hold the test tube in cold water, a dark blue precipitate will again form.

When starch is heated to boiling, it begins to break down and the amylose chains will break. This is how short chains of dextrins are formed, so the color begins to change. By the way, some glucose compounds do not give color when reacting with iodine.

The reaction equation for iodine and starch looks like this:

I₂ + (C₆H₁₀O₅) n => I₂ (C₆H₁₀O₅) n

Interesting fact: amylopectin, a starch polysaccharide, when interacting with I₂, gives a violet-red color. There is much more amylopectin in starch than amylose, which gives blue color, but blue overlaps red-violet.

Consider how a reaction to starch with iodine can come in handy in life.

It's simple: if you have two unsigned jars of soda and starch and you don't want to taste these substances, add a little iodine.

Also, due to the viscous structure of starch, it is added to counterfeit some. This is especially true of honey: on the market you can find fakes with a high content (C₆H₁₀O₅) n. Starch can be detected by the same simple chemical method in any food.

To make the linen crisp, re-glue the wallpaper - our grandmothers also used life hacks with starch. Today, linen is not starchy, and with wallpaper they do not risk it. The starch would have stood lonely on the sidelines, recalling the years of former glory, if not for the life hackers who found this penny food product a lot useful applications... See for yourself, with starch you can easily ...

1. Prepare safe plasticine for children

  • Plasticine can be dangerous, say Rospotrebnadzor experts. Some samples contain almost the entire periodic table! A safe gooey mass can be prepared from corn starch... Mix 2 cups of starch with hair conditioner. Knead well, adding conditioner as needed. Add food colorings... The resulting "dough" is superbly molded.

2. Make a hypoallergenic antiperspirant

  • If deodorants cause allergies, or you are against industrial antiperspirants (only lazy ones have not heard about their dangers), prepare a hard stick with your own hands. Ingredients: 2 tbsp. l. shea butter or coconut, 2 tsp. soda, 1 tbsp. l. cornstarch, 7-10 drops essential oil tea tree. Dissolve the oil in a water bath before mixing. Transfer the resulting mass to a glass jar (or a tube of cream) and store in the refrigerator.


3. Clean up plush toys

  • Soft toys are the best friends of not only children, but also adults. How often do you arrange hygiene procedures for your “friend”, ridding him of dust and dust mites? A gentle way to clean a teddy bear or any other plush toy is with starch. Sprinkle liberally, leave overnight, and scrub or vacuum in the morning. The coat will become soft, neat and clean.


4. ... and pets

  • The coat of our pets also needs care. Veterinarians do not recommend frequent washing: the protective lipid barrier is washed off. Dry brushing with starch will help keep the coat clean without harming the pet's health. Apply powder evenly and comb out. The dirt will come off with the starch.


5. Refresh the carpet

  • And although dry shampoos for carpets are not a shortage, starch will cope with the task just as well, and the savings are significant. Sprinkle starch on the carpet - the powder absorbs grease and odors. Finishing - with a vacuum cleaner.


6. Eliminate shoe odor

  • There are many uses for the absorbent properties of starch. If shoes or sneakers "smell", generously pour inside the starch. Leave it overnight. Do not forget to shake out the starch in the morning.


7. Remove blood stains

  • The main rule for removing blood stains is not to wash them with hot water. The protein will curl up, and the stain will settle on the fabric forever. However, you can try to eliminate it with starch. Apply starch gruel to the stain and cold water, after drying - scrape off the crust and wash the item the traditional way... With a guarantee, the life hack will work if the stain has not been in contact with hot water before.


8. Polish the silver

  • A paste made of starch and water is a budget way to restore the lost shine to silver jewelry. Apply the paste with a damp cloth and polish after drying.


9. Wash your hair

  • No time for a headwash? Starch will save your hairstyle from skepticism. Sprinkle a little powder over the hair roots. After 10 minutes, shake it off with your fingers, comb it out, or “blow out” with a stream of cold air. The starch absorbs oil and leaves your hair looking fresh. One thing: burning brunettes will have to carefully get rid of traces of "shampoo" with them. Dandruff is not a great alternative to oily hair.


10. Take care of your skin

  • Cleopatra's milk and honey bath is not a budget pleasure. Another thing is starchy. The effect is the same: soft and delicate skin. Why overpay? In addition, a starch bath is an irreplaceable remedy for skin diseases. To prepare such a cosmetic therapeutic bath, you will need 500 g of starch dissolved in a liter of cold water. Add the mixture to the prepared bath and relax for health.


We bring to your attention another magical chemical experiment with iodine and starch, in which a clear liquid turns blue in a matter of moments! All the ingredients for this simple experiment are usually already in household, but even if something is missing, check out our article "Where to get reagents for experiments" and the questions will disappear by themselves.

Experimenting with iodine and starch

To conduct an experiment with iodine and starch, we need:

  • Iodine, and preferably an alcohol solution of iodine 5%,
  • 1 vitamin C (1000 mg), you can immediately in powder,
  • starch,
  • 3 glass beakers.

Algorithm of experience with iodine and starch

Preparatory work for the chemical experiment with iodine and starch:

  1. Preparing solution No. 1. To begin with, grind the vitamin into powder and, stirring for a minute, dissolve it in 3 tablespoons warm water.
  2. Preparing solution No. 2. Pour 1 teaspoon of Solution No. 1 into a glass, add there a teaspoon of an alcoholic solution of iodine and 3 tablespoons of warm water. At this point, we will see that the brown iodine is discolored.
  3. Preparing solution No. 3. In the third glass, mix one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, half a teaspoon of starch and 3 tablespoons of water.

The preparations are over, you can call the audience and demonstrate an entertaining chemical experiment with iodine and starch. To do this, pour solution No. 2 into a glass with solution No. 3 and back several times…. And the liquid will turn from transparent to dark blue!

How the experience with iodine and starch is explained

Vitamin C decolours iodine. Starch, on the other hand, reacts with iodine and turns blue. By merging liquids No. 2 and No. 3 together, we start these two chemical reactions simultaneously. After a short struggle, the starch wins and the liquid eventually turns blue.

Starch is truly a magical substance! And you will understand this by reading the article))

Starch can be used to make a magical non-Newtonian liquid, different types sand, snow and modeling mass. We will consider all this further.

  1. Non-Newtonian fluid.
  2. What we need:

  • Starch
  • Optional dye (food or gouache)
  • Mixing bowl

The proportions are approximately as follows - 1 part water to 1.5 parts starch.

How to do:

Pour water into a bowl, you can add dye if you want to get a colored non-Newtonian liquid. Gradually pour starch into it. Stir constantly until smooth, adding starch, until the mass is thick. Glitter or quartz sand can be added to such a mass.

The resulting mass can be solid and liquid at the same time. If you slowly immerse your hand in a non-Newtonian liquid, it will be liquid and spread, and if you hit the surface with your fist or poke it with your finger, it will be solid.

The fact is that it is an unstable mixture that can exist in two states. Here is such a cunning solid-liquid mass.


Non-Newtonian liquid is perfectly washed and washed, it is easy to prepare and clean it, and you can play for a very long time, since this process is very addictive for both children and adults.

This liquid completely contradicts Newton's laws, hence the name.

In no case do not throw out the non-Newtonian liquid, it can be dried and used as a sand in the sensor boxes.


  • Sand



  • Starch can produce different types of sand.

    Ordinary starch, without any additives, you can use as loose sand. If you want to drink from the sand, then the starch can be moistened with plain water. It's great to do it from a spray bottle. If you add a dye to the water, you can get a colored sand. Adjust the moisture content of the starch according to your feelings. Such sand is pleasant to the touch, soft tender, creaky, velvety. Wet starch is a bit like living sand in its feel and properties. It is a pleasure to play with such sand, and cleaning after such a game is much faster and easier than after ordinary sand.




    If you overdo it with water, you get a wonderful non-Newtonian fluid.


    This snow will not melt, it is a pleasure to play and build from it, and every mother will be able to do it.

    Its composition is simple: starch is mixed with hair balm.



    The snow turns out to be wet (just for sculpting with molds), and also smells very tasty (depending on the smell of the balm).


    The difference between such a mass from the previous one (starch + water) is that "starch + hair balm" will not dry out and turn into ordinary starch, but such a mass cannot be tasted, because it turns out to be chemical.

    All pleasant and useful games!