Quantification of Solute Concentration via Spectrophotometer

Rationale

The analysis of the concentration of food dyes by spectrophotometer is a plausible pedagogic vehicle to employ in teaching students the fundamentals of spectroscopic analysis. Students have become familiar with the food dyes used in candies and drinks by the reading of product labels throughout their childhoods. This project will allow them to see an aspect of the formulation of products from the perspective of a manufacturer and encourage them to consider professions in the formulation, manufacture and marketing of foods, and proprietary drugs and toiletries. Such a project as this one will enable them to better describe the connection between chemistry and future careers. Additionally, this project would add real-world practicality to the field of chemistry so as to make it more interesting to American students which have been measured to be weak in the sciences as measured by the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

In addition to promoting thought about future careers, the analysis of the concentration of food dyes by spectrophotometer will introduce them to a common and important tool in industry and environmental sciences.

Students will have the opportunity to utilize the facts and principles that they have learned in chemistry, physics, and mathematics in completing the work for this project and will enabled to appreciate the interconnectedness and worth of their studies in the various sciences.

This project will satisfy many of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills required in Chemistry, Physics, Integrated Physics and Chemistry. Students will be required to demonstrate safe practices in laboratory, will plan and implement investigative procedures, select appropriate equipment, collect data and make measurements with precision. Students will express and manipulate chemical quantities using scientific conventions and mathematical procedures such as dimensional analysis, scientific notation and significant figures. They will organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences and predict trends from data and communicate valid conclusions.

The various skills employed to complete the analysis of the concentration of food dyes will add depth to students’ content knowledge and require students to apply the principles learned in prior science classes in order to synthesize a plan to solve a novel problem using an investigative approach to a hands-on project. This project will provide students at a high-needs Texas school the opportunity to sharpen skills that may be applied to other disciplines. Additionally, the equipment obtained to complete this project will be suitable for future quality research projects in environmental sciences, biology and chemistry.