UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

Faculty of Engineering & Computing

Laboratory Report

Title of Experiment: Spectrophotometric Analysis of a two component mixture

Experiment #: 6 A
Date: March 6, 2015
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. D. Bennett

COURSE NAME: Analytical Chemistry CHY2017

PROGRAMME: Chemical Engineering

SUBMITTED BY: Adrian Fagan, Ranaldo Dixon, Damar white
DATE SUBMITTED: March 13, 2015
ID Nos Respectively: 1301500, 1301284, 1301472

Experiment #: 6a

Title:

Spectrophotometric Analysis

Aim:

To determine the concentrations of dichromate ion and permanganate ion in a

mixture using a spectrophotometer.

Abstract:

The purpose of this experiment was to determine

Introduction: Spectrophotometry is the quantitative measurement of the transmission properties

of a material as a function of wavelength. A spectrophotometer is a device used to
measure the amount of light that a sample can absorb as a function of color or
more specifically the wavelength of light. The instrument operates by beaming
light through a sample and measuring the intensity of light that reaches a detector
on the other side. The analyte absorbs photons from the light source and the
amount of light that reaches the detector is measured as intensity.
The relationship between absorptivity and concentration is given by BeerLamberts Law which states that the absorbance of a compound is directly
proportional to the path length of the substance and its concentration, and is given
by the following equation:

A= l C
Where A is the absorbance, l is the path length of the substance or material being
measured, c is its concentration and is the molar absorptivity of the substance.
Therefore in a plot of absorbance versus concentration (a calibration curve), the
gradient is equivalent to molar absorptivity at that specific wavelength
investigated; assuming a 1cm (unit) diameter or path length.
In this experiment, one can quantitatively determine the concentrations of
permanganate and dichromate ions in a mixture. Because of the overlap of
spectra, it is not feasible to generate a calibration curve of one ion and then the
other and use a straightforward Beers Law approach to determine each
concentration. The problem is that each ion has significant absorbance at the
others max. Dichromate is normally quantified at a wavelength of 440 nm while
permanganate is measured at 545 nm. One will determine the four absorptivities
(one for each ion at each wavelength) based on graphical means. From the
measured absorbance of the mixture at each wavelength; a system of two
simultaneous equations in which two unknowns can be solved and the molar
concentrations of the two ions in the mixture can be determined is then conducted.
A = A c A l+ B c B l
1

A = A c A l+ B c B l
2

Assuming that the ions follow Beer Lamberts law; the absorbance at each
wavelength of the mixture is equivalent to the sum of the absorbance of each ion
present.
Procedure:

As outlined in the lab manual.

Results/Calculations:

Table One: Table showing absorbance and concentration values of KMnO4 and K2Cr2O7at
430nm wavelength.

Flask

Blank
1
2
3
4
5

K2Cr2O7
Concentration
(molL-1)
0.0000
0.0004
0.0008
0.0012
0.0016
0.0020

K2Cr2O7
Absorbance
0.000
0.188
0.346
0.539
0.722
0.923

KMnO4
Concentration
(molL-1)
0.0000
0.0001
0.0002
0.0003
0.0004

KMnO4
Absorbance
0.000
0.014
0.016
0.025
0.032

Table Two Table showing absorbance and concentration values of KMnO4 and K2Cr2O7at
525nm wavelength
Flask

Blank
1
2
3
4
5

K2Cr2O7
Concentration
(molL-1)
0.0000
0.0004
0.0008
0.0012
0.0016
0.0020

K2Cr2O7
Absorbance
0.000
0.008
0.015
0.021
0.029
0.036

KMnO4
Concentration
(molL-1)
0.0000
0.0001
0.0002
0.0003
0.0004

KMnO4
Absorbance
0.000
0.269
0.386
0.756
1.004

Table Three: Table showing absorbance values for unknown solution at 430nm and 525 nm
wavelengths
Flask
Blank
Unknown solution

Absorbance at 430nm
0.000
0.399

Absorbance at 525nm
0.000
0.400

Graph 1
Graph showing absorbance vs concentration of dichromate ion solution at 430nm
0.8
f(x) = 374.71x - 0.01
R = 1

0.7
0.6
0.5
Dichromate Ion Absorbance at 430nm

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

Dichromate Ion concentration (M)

Graph 2

Graph showing absorbance vs concentration of permanganate ion solution at 430nm

0.04
0.03

f(x) = 75x + 0
R = 0.96

0.03
0.02
Permanganate Ion Absorbance at 430nm

0.02
0.01
0.01
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Permanganate Ion Concentration (M)

Graph 3
Graph showing absorbance vs concentration of Dicchromate ion solution at 525nm
0.04
0.04

f(x) = 17.79x + 0
R = 1

0.03
0.03
Dichromate Ion Absorbance at 525nm 0.02
0.02
0.01
0.01
0
0

Dichromate Ion Concentration (M)

Graph 4

Graph showing absorbance vs concentration of permanganate ion solution at 525nm

1.2
1
0.8

Permanganate Ion Absorbance at 525nm

f(x) = 2495x - 0.02

R = 0.98

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Permanganate Ion Concentration (M)

Calculations: