If iodine is added to a starch solution, they react with each other and the iodine darkens to an almost pitch black.
however, if iodine is added to a solution containing no starch, it will show up only as an extremely pale brown. almost colorless and hardly visible.
when following the changes in some inorganic oxidation reduction reactions, iodine may be used as an indicator to follow the changes of iodide ion and iodine element. soluble starch solution is added. only iodine element in the presence of iodide ion will give the characteristic blue black color. neither iodine element alone nor iodide ions alone will give the color result.
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