Report How Much A Chemical Substance Absorbs Light A Spectrophotometer
Discussion of Results and Scientific Explanation:
In order to observe how much a chemical substance absorbs light a spectrophotometer can be used. A spectrophotometer measures the amount of light absorbed by measuring the difference in the intensity of the light before and after a beam of light passes through a sample solution. The area in which light is absorbed can provide information about the molecule, such as the concentration, by identifying the most preferentially absorbed wavelength.1
Food coloring and potassium permanganate:
This method was used with red, blue, and purple food colorings and potassium permanganate. Wavelength measures energy in nanometers, from the top of one peak to the top of another peak, of a wave. Each wavelength …show more content…
A wavelength of 525 nanometers is within the range for green which is the complementary color for red. The relation between absorbance and percent transmittance is inversely related and as such when absorbance is low then transmittance is high, and vice versa. This is given by the equation: A = 2 - log10 %T. Where A is absorbance and T is Percent Transmittance. Transmittance is the percent of light that travels through the sample. When transmittance is at its lowest, the corresponding wavelength is that of the complementary color of the displayed color. For the experiment conducted for this report, the last absorbance value measured at a wavelength of 600nm was where the blue solution was the highest. This is in coordination with the method explained above because the absorbance value should peak, be the highest, where the color is complementary. 600nm is within the wavelength that is orange, which is complementary to blue. The red solution peaked at 520nm for absorbance and this is also in accordance since 520nm is still within the spectrum for green. The purple solution made with dye spiked between 500nm and 530nm, however it can be seen that it starts increasing around 600nm where it raises up from 0.11 to 0.14 for absorbance level. This is a little bit unclear, however the purple should spike twice, once around the complementary color’s wavelength for each of the mixed dyes. Considering these experiments were done quickly the inaccuracy of getting a clear picture of where the two peaks were could have been because of multiple reasons. This could have been due to an unequal mixing of the two solutions, resulting in a change in the wavelengths that could be absorbed. This could also have been because we did not use a low enough wavelength, since there was not a true wavelength peak that was recorded for the blue solution. This is a good source
In order to observe how much a chemical substance absorbs light a spectrophotometer can be used. A spectrophotometer measures the amount of light absorbed by measuring the difference in the intensity of the light before and after a beam of light passes through a sample solution. The area in which light is absorbed can provide information about the molecule, such as the concentration, by identifying the most preferentially absorbed wavelength.1
Food coloring and potassium permanganate:
This method was used with red, blue, and purple food colorings and potassium permanganate. Wavelength measures energy in nanometers, from the top of one peak to the top of another peak, of a wave. Each wavelength …show more content…
A wavelength of 525 nanometers is within the range for green which is the complementary color for red. The relation between absorbance and percent transmittance is inversely related and as such when absorbance is low then transmittance is high, and vice versa. This is given by the equation: A = 2 - log10 %T. Where A is absorbance and T is Percent Transmittance. Transmittance is the percent of light that travels through the sample. When transmittance is at its lowest, the corresponding wavelength is that of the complementary color of the displayed color. For the experiment conducted for this report, the last absorbance value measured at a wavelength of 600nm was where the blue solution was the highest. This is in coordination with the method explained above because the absorbance value should peak, be the highest, where the color is complementary. 600nm is within the wavelength that is orange, which is complementary to blue. The red solution peaked at 520nm for absorbance and this is also in accordance since 520nm is still within the spectrum for green. The purple solution made with dye spiked between 500nm and 530nm, however it can be seen that it starts increasing around 600nm where it raises up from 0.11 to 0.14 for absorbance level. This is a little bit unclear, however the purple should spike twice, once around the complementary color’s wavelength for each of the mixed dyes. Considering these experiments were done quickly the inaccuracy of getting a clear picture of where the two peaks were could have been because of multiple reasons. This could have been due to an unequal mixing of the two solutions, resulting in a change in the wavelengths that could be absorbed. This could also have been because we did not use a low enough wavelength, since there was not a true wavelength peak that was recorded for the blue solution. This is a good source