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Use of a computer controlled spectrophotometer in home chemistry experiments

Use of a computer controlled spectrophotometer in home chemistry experiments. Lawton Shaw and Robert Carmichael Centre for Science, Athabasca University. Athabasca University. 38,000 students (7,900 FLE) Open registration Average age: 29 83% work while they study

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Use of a computer controlled spectrophotometer in home chemistry experiments

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  1. Use of a computer controlled spectrophotometer in home chemistry experiments Lawton Shaw and Robert Carmichael Centre for Science, Athabasca University

  2. Athabasca University • 38,000 students (7,900 FLE) • Open registration • Average age: 29 • 83% work while they study • Students from across Canada and abroad

  3. Home Labs at AU • General Chemistry I (>500 students per year) • Home lab kit ships anywhere within Canada

  4. Criteria for Home Lab Experiments Practical: • Need durable equipment • Low cost • Small size/weight • Reliable experiments • Safety & low chemical toxicity • “Green” Lab Curriculum: • Meaningful experiments • Quantitative measurements where possible (e.g. mass, volume, etc…) • Introduction to instrumentation?

  5. Home Experiments • Candle (observational) • Mass, volume • Spectrophotometry • Acid/base titrations • Gas constant • Colligative properties • Reaction Enthalpy • Qualitative cation determination • Quantitative analysis of P • Reaction stoichiometry (iodate, iodide)

  6. Home-made colorimeter D. Kennepohl and M. Connors ‘An Inexpensive Mini-colorimeter for Undergraduate Science Laboratories , Australian Journal of Education in Chemistry, 2010, 70, 38-41

  7. VernierSpectroVis Plus • CCD array • 380-950 nm, 2.5 nm resolution • 1 s spectral acquisition • Powered with USB connection • PC controlled • Downloadable software (free) • < $500

  8. Experiment: Determining %ASA in an aspirin tablet

  9. Student Data – Spectrum of Fe(III) salicylate complex

  10. Student Calibration Data

  11. SpectroVis Plus • Approx. 250 shipped to date • No damage to instruments (so far!) • Much positive feedback from students and tutors • Students satisfied with good data quality

  12. Problems/Criticisms • Students may have difficulty installing software (infrequent and always resolved) • Software does too much of the work for students (i.e. black box type calculations)

  13. New learning experiences for students • Computer control of an instrument (e.g. setting parameters) • Instrument calibration • Electronic capture of data • Electronic data processing

  14. What we’re working on… • Preparing to survey students on their previous experience with instrumentation, and how they rate their learning experience • New home lab experiments with the SpectroVis

  15. Acknowledgments • Chemistry 217 tutors (Jim Robinson, NyronJaleel, Klaus Thomson, Kate Stuttaford) • Lab Kit Manager, Neil Sexton • Knowledge Infrastructure Program • Athabasca University

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