EXPERIMENT 1:

The Visible Spectra of Soft Drinks

A. Pre-laboratory questions

a) Define spectroscopy and specify the sort of electromagnetic radiation that will be
employed in this experiment.

Spectroscopy is the study of light absorption and emission that is based on

electromagnetic radiation's interaction with matter. We use UV-Vis electromagnetic
radiation to detect the source of a soft drink sample's colour from its absorption
spectrum in this experiment.

b) Define the terms of transmittance and absorbance.

The fraction of incident radiation transmitted through the sample medium is described
as transmittance, whereas absorbance is defined as the amount of radiant power
absorbed by the sample and is defined as the negative log of transmittance.

c) State Beer’s law mathematically and max.

Where (A) is the absorbance value, A=εbc or A=abc. The molar absorptivity, or how
strongly it can absorb light at a specific wavelength, is measured by (ε) and (a). (b) is
the sample path length, and (c) is the concentration species. λmax is the wavelength at
the point where the absorbance is the highest.

B. Post-laboratory questions

a) How will the following be affected when the concentration of an analyte increases,
according to Beer's Law? (increase, decrease, no change)
i. Absorbance

Because A=εbc, the absorbance will increase. The concentration is directly

proportional to the absorbance value.

ii. Transmittance

A = -log T, therefore the transmittance will decrease.

b) Why is it necessary to first collect the soft drink absorption spectrum before building
a calibration curve?
 Because we need to identify the wavelength of maximum absorbance of the sample
and use it as the absorbance measurements, finding the absorption spectrum of the
soft drink sample is critical before creating the calibration curve

c) Why is the ‘blank' solution being used?

The ‘blank' solution is used to calibrate the reading from the spectrometer. A blank is
used when there is no detectable quantity of the analyte of interest in the solution.

d) Identify the colours that have been absorbed in soft drink samples.

The colour of the soft drink that can absorb certain wavelengths based on the
maximum absorption obtained in the experiment is blue-green.

C. Objective

The origin of a soft drink sample's colour must be determined using its absorption
spectrum as well as its wavelength at maximum absorbance (λmax) in the experiment.
The next step is to use a calibration curve to determine the soft drink's unknown content.

D. Introduction

Spectroscopy is a study or field of science concerned with the absorption and emission of
light and other radiation by matter, as well as the relationship between these processes
and the wavelength of the radiation emitted by molecules, ions, atoms, or nuclei. White
light is a light that contains all of the rainbow's colours. This is due to the fact that when it
reaches a coloured solution, the electron inside the solution absorbs a portion of the light
and transmits the remainder. In spectroscopy, electromagnetic radiation of a specific
wavelength is passed from a source to a sample containing a specific compound, causing
absorption and emission. The sample absorbs the light's energy and emits light with a
different wavelength than the source.

Using the Spectronic 20 instrument, we analyse the wavelength (λ) at which light
absorbance by a soft drink reaches its maximum value (λmax). The sample's absorption
spectrum will be determined by measuring the absorbance of the sample, soft drink, at
various wavelengths using a spectrophotometer. The absorbance vs wavelength graph
will then be plotted. Fundamental, instrumental, and chemical deviations are some of the
limitations of spectroscopy. Each limitation has a significant impact on the experiment's
outcome.

E. Procedure
 i. Soft Drink ‘Standard' Solutions Preparation (Known Concentrations)

The carbonation was removed by stir the Mountain Dew Code Red in the beaker.
5mL, 10mL, 15mL, 20mL and 25 mL was pipetted into a 50 mL volumetric and
diluted to the mark. The volumetric flask was shake to create a homogenous
solution.

ii. Soft Drink Solution Quantitative Analysis

The soft drink was poured and stirred inside a beaker to remove carbonation. The
unmeasured soft drink then was poured into a 50 mL volumetric flask and diluted
to the mark with distilled water. The flask was shake until it homogenizes.

iii. Sample of ‘Unknown' Soft Drink Preparation

The Spectronic 20 was set to the wavelength maximum obtained from previous
step. It was set to 0 and 100% T as given in the procedure. The absorbance of each
5 ‘standard’ and ‘unknown’ soft drink solution was measured and recorded.

F. Result and Data

Wavelength (nm) Absorbance

600 0.040
580 0.214
560 0.574
540 0.770
520 0.885
500 0.796
480 0.610
460 0.383
440 0.252
420 0.213
400 0.207
380 0.194
360 0.200

Table 1: The wavelength and absorbance of soft drink

 Wavelength vs Absorbance
1
0.9
0.8
Wavelength (nm)

0.7
y = 0.001x - 0.0827
0.6 R² = 0.078
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Absorbance

Absorbance Linear (Absorbance)

(λ max) = 520nm

Solutions Concentration Absorbance

1 5 0.179
2 10 0.362
3 15 0.537
4 20 0.714
5 25 0.885
Unknown sample 6.94 0.245

Concentration vs Absorbance
Absorbance Linear (Absorbance) Linear (Absorbance)
1
0.9 y = 0.0353x + 0.0062
0.8 R² = 0.9999
0.7
ABSORBANCE

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
CONCENTRATION (VOLUME%)
 The unknown concentration:

Slope,m = Molar absorptivity

A = εbc
0.245 = 0.0353×1×C
C = 0.245/0.0353
C = 6.94 volume%

G. Discussion

To establish the colour of the soft drink in this experiment, we must first determine its
maximum absorbance at a specific wavelength. To make a known concentration of the
soft drink, a standard solution was prepared. Spectronic 20 was used to determine the
maximum absorbance at a specific wavelength. Based on the results, the wavelength is
600nm at the start. The absorption value is the lowest that has ever been recorded. When
the wavelength was dropped by 20 nm at a time, it began to rise. The maximum reading is
between 540 and 480 nm, and it starts to drop at 500 nm. A graph was created using the
data collected throughout the experiment. The graph's highest peak is at 520nm. The
absorbed colour is blue-green, while the observed colour is red, according to the table of
absorbed and observed colour.

Then, in order to determine the soft drink's unknown content using a calibration curve, we
conducted a linear relationship between absorbance and concentration experiment. The
concentration of a species or sample is proportional to its absorbance, according to Beer's
Law. The reading of absorbance of a known concentration of the soft drink sample was
used to plot a graph. Because the absorbance increases according to the concentration,
Beer's Law was proven to be valid. Inside the graph, molar absorptivity is equal to the
slope, m. We can now determine the concentration of the unknown using the formula
A=εbc or the standard calibration method, which is 6.94 volume%.

To reduce the inaccuracy, only a few measures were performed during the experiment.
Before inserting the spectronic 20, the cuvette must be properly cleaned with KimWipe.
To achieve better results, the cuvette utilised for the experiment must be clear and free of
scratches. When pipetting the soft drink, make sure to rinse the glasses with the same soft
drink to remove any contaminants. Then, before diluting the soft drink, ensure that the
distilled water is within the calibration mark.

H. Conclusion

Using absorption spectroscopy in its absorption spectrum, the soft drink's original colour
was confirmed to be blue-green. From the calibration cuve, the wavelength at maximum
absorbance (λmax) is 520nm, and the unknown concentration is 6.94 volume percent.