Lets Talk About Beer

Beer-Lambert Law
Or more commonly

Beers Law
(A16-A19 in your textbook)

Solution Concentration Reminders

Concentration
expresses how the
amount of solute
and the amount of
solution compare
Our unit of choice:
Molarity = mol/L
What do you notice
about the solutions?

Why Does Color Fade as

Concentration is Lessened?

Conc is moles
(number of
ions/atoms/molecul
e) per space
More molecules
means more light is
caught

Beers Law

Beers Law quantifies the

relationship between color
and concentration
Beers Law states that the
absorbance (why?) of light
by a solution is directly
proportional to

Molar Absorptivity - a
Path Length - b
Concentration - c

A = abc

A = -log T

(T is transmittance)

So, What Does This Mean

It means that a graph

of absorbance of light
by a kind of solution
to the concentration is
linear.
It means that
predictions are
accurate and reliable
We can find
concentrations by
comparison

How Do We Do This?

We make several solutions with known

concentrations
We determine which wavelength or color of
light the solution responds to best
We measure that transmittance and/or
absorbance for the known solutions and the
unknown solution
We graph the knowns and interpolate for the
unknown

A Successive Dilution Example

Design a process of successive

dilution to make 250.0 mls of the
following solutions from a 0.85 M stock
solution: 0.50 M, 0.30 M, 0.10 M.

Why Not Transmittance?

Imagine an area enclosed by a curtain

containing a mystery number of people
Each person can catch and hold 2 tennis
balls
We throw 1000 balls into the area
We measure what comes out (Trans)
But we find the number of people by what
doesnt come out (Abs)
# People is related to number of balls caught
(Abs)

Spectroscopy: The kind you

can see

Spectroscopy
involves the study
of light that is
absorbed or
emitted by a
substance
Visible spec.
involves light we
can see

The plan:

Well shine light that is absorbed well

into solutions of known concentration
Well make a plot of known
concentrations versus absorbance
Well test our unknown solution
Well interpolate to find the
concentration that matches its
absorbance

Great! How do we do that?

Calibrate the machine

Find the best
wavelength (max)
Test all solutions at that
wavelength
Graph or use factor
Spec 20 or Colorimeter

Calibration of Spec 20

Allow the machine to warm up

Set wavelength to desired value (400 nm)
With sample chamber empty set %T to zero
using left knob
With water (or some other solvent) in
sample chamber set %T to 100% using right
knob
Repeat for each wavelength

Calibration of Spec 20

Allow the machine to warm up

Set wavelength to desired value (400 nm)
With sample chamber empty set %T to zero
using left knob
With water (or some other solvent) in
sample chamber set %T to 100% using right
knob
Repeat for each wavelength

Finding max

Calibrate machine at 400 nm

Place one solution (usually a middle
concentration) into sample chamber
Record data
Reset machine to 425 (or 450) nm
Calibrate and test same solution
Repeat until you reach 750 nm

Testing the solutions &

unknown

Once youve found

the best
wavelength (light is
absorbed best) test
all solutions and
unknown at this
wavelength
Use data to find
concentration of
unknown

Finding the unknown

Suppose this graph is

generated
The unknown
absorbance is 0.500
Find 0.500 absorbance
Across and down
The concentration is
0.775 (or so)