We did a LAB where we used a spectrophotometer to measure the absornency of a solution. It was a bluish color, so the question is....
What could be done to modify this experiment if the original solution was colorless? HINT: you can NOT add a coloring agent such as food coloring because then you will be measuring the concentration of the coloring agent , not the colorless solution. Think butterflys and night vision goggles.
i have no idea
thanks.
Your hint suggests looking at IR and UV absorbtion.
Thanks so much!!
If the original solution is colorless, it means that there is nothing in the solution that can absorb light in the visible spectrum. In such cases, it can be challenging to measure the absorbance using a spectrophotometer because there won't be any color change to detect.
To modify the experiment and measure the absorbance of a colorless solution, you can use a technique called "derivatization." Derivatization involves adding a substance to the colorless solution that reacts with it to produce a detectable color or absorbance.
For example, you can add a specific chemical reagent that reacts with the colorless compound in the solution to form a colored product. This colored product can be measured using the spectrophotometer at a specific wavelength. By doing this, you can indirectly measure the absorbance of the original colorless solution.
The hint given in the question about butterflies and night vision goggles is suggesting the use of fluorescence. Some colorless compounds can be converted into fluorescent compounds by adding a fluorescent dye or reagent. Upon excitation with a specific wavelength of light, these compounds emit fluorescent light at a different, longer wavelength, which can be detected using the spectrophotometer.
In summary, to modify the experiment for a colorless solution, you can apply derivatization techniques by adding a reagent that reacts with the compound to produce a detectable color or fluorescence. This will enable you to measure the absorbance indirectly or detect the fluorescent emission using the spectrophotometer.