Build Your Own Photometer: A Guided-Inquiry Experiment To Introduce Analytical Instrumentation

作者：Wang Jessie J; Nunez Jose R Rodriguez^*; Maxwell E Jane; Algar W Russ^*

来源：Journal of Chemical Education, 2016, 93(1): 166-171.

DOI：10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00426

• Second-Year Undergraduate
• Upper-Division Undergraduate
• Analytical Chemistry
• Laboratory Instruction
• Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives
• Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning
• Laboratory Computing/Interfacing
• Instrumental Methods
• UV-Vis Spectroscopy

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.

• 出版日期2016-1