What color is Iodine? Experiment

To demonstrate that iodine is more soluble in oil then in than in water.
1.) Fill the bottle about ½ full of water and add iodine until it is about the color of tea.
2.) Hold it up and slowly add an small amount of oil so that the you can see the clear oil on top of the brown-colored water.
3.) Tighten the cap and shake for about 30 seconds. The two layers will need a few moments to form. The bottom layer will be much lighter and the top will be a beautiful purple color.

Explanation
This amazing experiment vividly demonstrates the non polar nature of iodine. Iodine is slightly soluble in water, but much more soluble in oil.

You will be able to see colors change in a solution, and learn how chemistry can explain this magical result.

This experiment works because iodine is brown when dissolved in water and purple when dissolved in oil. Pure iodine is violet, but when it’s dissolved in water, it accepts an electron from the oxygen atom, affecting how it absorbs light. When you shake the fluids, the iodine leaves the water and dissolves in the oil, and returns to its purple color!

The reason the iodine molecules leave water to dissolve in oil is due to how polarity affects solubility. Water is polar; it has an uneven distribution of electrons. Oil is non-polar; electrons in molecules of this substance are distributed evenly. Iodine is also a non-polar molecule therefore it is more soluble in oil.