system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Chemistry] If you dilute iodine in a bowl and leave it for two days or so the mixture will go from a weak tea color to clear like regular water. Is the iodine still in the water? Why does it lose it's color? What happens on the molecular level?
gpt
Iodine is volatile, an oxidizer and a weak acid. If it evaporates from the water the water will lose some color. It's also an oxidizer like chlorine added to pool water (though chlorine is usually added in a different form). If the iodine reacts with organic compounds (used as a disinfectant) or a base it will change forms and lose it's color.