Build Your Own Photometer: A Guided-Inquiry Experiment To Introduce Analytical Instrumentation
A guided-inquiry project designed to teach students the basics of spectrophotometric instrumentation at the second year level is presented. Students design, build, program, and test their own single-wavelength, submersible photometer using low-cost light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and inexpensive househ...
Gespeichert in:
Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of chemical education 2016-01, Vol.93 (1), p.166-171 |
---|---|
Hauptverfasser: | , , , |
Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
Schlagworte: | |
Online-Zugang: | Volltext |
Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
Zusammenfassung: | A guided-inquiry project designed to teach students the basics of spectrophotometric instrumentation at the second year level is presented. Students design, build, program, and test their own single-wavelength, submersible photometer using low-cost light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and inexpensive household items. A series of structured prelaboratory assignments guide students through the processes of researching background information, designing a photometer device, and developing their own procedure to test the performance of the device. Students also learn basic skills of data acquisition by programming an easy-to-use LabVIEW interface for their device. Using a colorimetric indicator dye, students use their photometers and LabVIEW interfaces to determine the endpoint of an acid–base titration and compare the linear response of their device against that of a commercially available spectrophotometer. Students who completed the experiment indicated that the experience improved their understanding of spectroscopy, as well as their critical thinking skills and research ability. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 0021-9584 1938-1328 |
DOI: | 10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00426 |