i bought RED 40 so you don't have to

Quick Overview

The experiment concludes that FD&C Red No. 40 and FD&C Blue No. 2 are water-soluble and produce darker colors when mixed, while Yellow No. 6 is less potent, and the final mixture of all three colors results in a brown color, demonstrating how different food dyes react in solution.

Key Points: FD&C Red No. 40 and FD&C Blue No. 2 dissolved in water created deeply saturated, dark colors (red and dark blue/purple, respectively). FD&C Yellow No. 6 was significantly less potent, requiring more powder to achieve a noticeable color change in water. When Blue No. 2 was mixed with Yellow No. 6, the resulting color was a dark green, which then turned brown after adding a small amount of Red No. 40. The experiment involved mixing three FDA-approved food dyes (Red #40, Yellow #6, Blue #2) in water to observe solubility and resulting color mixtures. The powdered dyes were sourced in industrial quantities (e.g., 17,349.13 USD worth of product was mentioned in a related eBay story). The child participant, who had been eating Skittles, preferred the red-colored mixture over the others.

Context: This video documents an experiment conducted outdoors by two individuals dressed as chefs, involving the mixing of three distinct FDA-approved food coloring powders (FD&C Red No. 40, Yellow No. 6, and Blue No. 2) with water in small plastic cups. The goal was to observe the relative potency and resulting colors when mixing primary food dyes, with a young child also present and interacting with the materials.

Detailed Analysis

The video documents an experiment comparing the potency of three FDA-approved food dyes: FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 6, and FD&C Blue No. 2, by mixing them with water. The experimenters, dressed in chef uniforms, noted that Red No. 40 and Blue No. 2 were highly potent, dissolving quickly to create deep red and dark blue liquids, respectively. In contrast, Yellow No. 6 was found to be much less potent, requiring a larger amount to color the water noticeably. When Blue No. 2 was mixed with Yellow No. 6, the result was a dark green mixture, which turned a dark brown shade after adding Red No. 40. The experimenter also tasted the Red No. 40 powder, noting it tasted like soap, and the Blue No. 2 powder tasted like petroleum derivative. The child present seemed to prefer the red-colored mixture. The video also briefly cuts to separate scenes involving a pancake-making session with Monster energy drinks and a discussion about a failed eBay sale, concluding with a plug for Hack Club, a non-profit organization that rewards kids for engineering projects.