What is the chemistry behind the “Breathalyzer” test. I'm supposed to explain the chemicals and structures involved with the reactions which produce the positive and negative results
Chemistry of a Breathalyzer
Aug 31, 2010 ... A Breathalyzer makes use of the fact that alcohols (in this case ethanol) oxidize into carboxylic acids. It uses the strong oxidizing agent ...
http://www.kimyaturk.org/chemistry-of-a-breathalyzer/
A Breathalyzer makes use of the fact that alcohols (in this case ethanol ...
http://www.kimyaturk.org/tag/alcohols/
a 61 g sample of an organic compound was analyed and found to consist of 18 g carbon , 16 g oxygen, 16 g sulfur, 7 g nitrogen, and 4 g hyrogen. what is the percentage by mass of the elements that compose this compound?
according to this law ,as magnitude of chrages increases,what happens to the strength of attraction?
The "Breathalyzer" test, also known as a breath alcohol test, is a common method used to determine an individual's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by analyzing their breath. The chemistry behind this test involves a reaction called oxidation, which occurs in the presence of specific chemicals and structures.
When people consume alcohol, it gets absorbed into their bloodstream. Through a process known as diffusion, some of the alcohol molecules pass through the lungs and enter the air sacs called alveoli. These alveoli are in direct contact with the air that we exhale, creating an opportunity to measure the concentration of alcohol in the breath.
The breathalyzer contains a tube filled with a substance referred to as a catalyst. In most cases, the catalyst is made of a compound called potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7), though other compounds like potassium permanganate (KMnO4) may also be used. The catalyst promotes the oxidation of alcohol, specifically ethanol (C2H5OH), in the breath.
Ethanol is oxidized to acetic acid (CH3COOH) by the following reaction:
C2H5OH + [O] → CH3COOH + H2O
During this reaction, the potassium dichromate or other catalyst is reduced from its original orange or purple color to a green Cr3+ ion:
K2Cr2O7 + 8H2SO4 + 3C2H5OH → 2Cr2(SO4)3 + 3CH3COOH + 11H2O + K2SO4
This color change is crucial to determining the presence and concentration of alcohol in the individual's breath.
The breathalyzer measures the intensity of the color change caused by the reduction of the catalyst. A photoelectric detector is typically used to quantify the absorbed light, and the sensor provides an electrical signal proportional to the BAC. This signal is then converted into a numerical BAC reading, which indicates whether the BAC level is above or below the legal limit.
It's important to note that while the breathalyzer provides a reasonable estimate of BAC, it is not as accurate as blood tests and can be influenced by various factors, including the individual's metabolism and the specific breathalyzer device used. Therefore, it is often only used as a preliminary screening tool, and more accurate tests may be conducted if needed.