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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2006  > October  >
In the Laboratory
Using Visible Absorption To Analyze Solutions of Kool-Aid and Candy
Karen E. Stevens
Department of Chemistry, Whitworth College, Spokane, WA 99251
Cover
October 2006
Vol. 83 No. 10
p. 1544
Abstract
This article describes a set of materials and a brief description of a technique that may be used to introduce concepts of color and visible absorption to students. Because everyday food items are used, the activity may be presented to high school students, nonscience majors, or may be used with science majors to help them develop good analytical techniques without worry about hazardous waste. A description is given of the use of Kool-Aid solutions to prepare a Beer's law plot, from which an unknown's concentration can be determined. Although a scanning spectrophotometer was used at our institution, a Spectronic 20 would be usable as well. Also, solutions of Kool-Aid, M&Ms, and Skittles are compared in terms of their visible absorption band shapes. Students use these candy spectra to determine whether the dyes used to color these food items might be the same.
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Instructions for the students and notes for the instructor are available.
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Citation
Stevens, Karen E. J. Chem. Educ. 2006 83 1544.
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Keywords
Dyes / Pigments; First-Year Undergraduate / General; Food Science; Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives; High School / Introductory Chemistry; Laboratory Instruction; Nonmajor Courses; UV-Vis Spectroscopy
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History
Created:
Last Updated:
8/23/2006
8/28/2006
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Experiments, laboratory exercises, lecture demonstrations, and other descriptions of the use of chemicals, apparatus, instruments, computers, and computer interfaces are presented in the Journal of Chemical Education as illustrative of new or improved ideas or concepts in chemistry instruction and are directed at qualified teachers. Although every effort is made to assure and encourage safe practices and safe use of chemicals, the Journal of Chemical Education cannot assume responsibility for uses made of its published materials. Many chemicals are hazardous. Precautions for the safe use of hazardous chemicals and directions for their proper disposal are described in the Material Safety Data Sheets and on the labels. We strongly urge all those planning to use materials from our pages to make choices and to develop procedures for laboratory and classroom safety in accordance with local needs and situations.
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