Use of a computer controlled spectrophotometer in home chemistry experiments

This A&PDF activity was centered on participation at the 2012 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, held at Pennsylvania State University. I organized and chaired the symposium titled “ Home Laboratory Programs and Student Accessibility”. The symposium included a range of home laboratory programs, from relatively simple experiments, to those involving computer data acquisition and even remotely-operated instrumentation. As part of the symposium, I also made an oral presentation titled “Use of a computer controlled spectrophotometer in home chemistry experiments”. The symposium was well attended, and feedback on all the talks was very positive.Home lab experiments in general chemistry often involve simple chemical manipulations, general chemical observations, and measurements of volume and mass. A mass balance is often the most complex piece of lab equipment that is required. On the other hand, campus teaching laboratories are often equipped with a broader range of simple instrumentation that can be used by general chemistry students, including simple spectrophotometers. We have attempted to bridge the divide between home and on-campus lab experiments by implementing a home lab colorimetry experiment that makes use of a simple, portable, computer controlled spectrophotometer (Vernier SpectroVis Plus). The use of this type of instrument allows students to learn about instrument control, data acquisition, and data processing – functions that are common to a large number of experimental techniques in chemistry and other sciences. This presentation will describe the instrument, the experiment, and our experience with durability, reliability, data quality, and student feedback