Science, Tech, Math › Science Water - Wine - Milk - Beer Chemistry Demonstration Change Liquids Using Chemistry Share Flipboard Email Print The liquids may look like water, wine, milk, and beer, but you don't want to drink them!. John Svoboda, Getty Images Science Chemistry Projects & Experiments Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Facebook Twitter Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 06, 2020 Chemistry demonstrations in which solutions appear to magically change color leave a lasting impression on students and help instill an interest in science. Here's a color change demo in which a solution seems to change from water to wine to milk to beer simply be being poured into the appropriate beverage glass. Difficulty: Average Time Required: Prepare the solutions in advance; demo time is up to you What You Need The chemicals needed for this demonstration are available online from a chemical supply store. distilled water saturated sodium bicarbonate; 20% sodium carbonate ph=9 phenolphthalein indicator saturated barium chloride solution (aqueous) crystals of sodium dichromate concentrated hydrochloric acid water glass wine glass milk glass beer mug Here's How First, prepare the glassware, since this demonstration relies on the presence of chemicals added to the glasses before the 'water' is added. For the 'water' glass: Fill the glass about 3/4 full of distilled water. Add 20-25 ml of saturated sodium bicarbonate with 20% sodium carbonate solution. The solution should have a pH = 9. Place a few drops of phenolphthalein indicator in the bottom of the wine glass. Pour ~10 ml saturated barium chloride solution into the bottom of the milk glass. Place a very small number of crystals of sodium dichromate into the beer mug. Up to this point, the set-up can be performed in advance of the demonstration. Just prior to performing the demo, add 5 ml concentrated HCl to the beer mug. To perform the demonstration, simply pour the solution from the water glass into the wine glass. Pour the resulting solution into the milk glass. This solution is finally poured into the beer mug. Tips for Success Use goggles, gloves, and proper safety precautions when making the solutions and handling the chemicals. In particular, use caution with the concentrated. HCl, which can cause a serious acid burn.Avoid accidents! If you are using real drinking glasses, please reserve this glassware solely for this demonstration and take care that the prepared glassware is kept away from children/pets/etc. As always, label your glassware, too. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Water - Wine - Milk - Beer Chemistry Demonstration." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/water-wine-milk-beer-chemistry-demonstration-602058. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2021, February 16). Water - Wine - Milk - Beer Chemistry Demonstration. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/water-wine-milk-beer-chemistry-demonstration-602058 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Water - Wine - Milk - Beer Chemistry Demonstration." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/water-wine-milk-beer-chemistry-demonstration-602058 (accessed May 29, 2023). copy citation