10/4/17

Food Colorant Experiment

By: Nathan Nguyen and Ema

The experiment that is being performed today is the food colorant experiment. As people
know today that there are many different type of name brand of sodas that are on the market
today. Such soda like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, etc. Most of types of soda have different
types of dyes that can affect the way that they look today. Colors like red, blue and all the others
that they could use to affect the color of the soda being administered to the public. Different
types of dye colors, when combined, will show different outcomes in terms of their chemical
format that would mix with the soda. Such types like giving sodas a dark black color, a pure
white color, or other combinations that would people would recognize based on the sheer color
of looking at the soda.

Why this lab is be performed is to determine the color of a soda that is being presented
as the subject of the lab. The question being “What types of dyes are used to give X soda this
shade of X color?”. To perform the lab will be in the form of absorption spectroscopy, which is
taking a certain mixture of liquids and measuring the wavelength of the mixture, then comparing
it to the different pure solutions, this will make it so that the scientists can see what the mixture
of liquid contains what dye in it. There are many problems that can come along with this
experiment like mixed up information, wrong data, the mixed graph can be difficult to read, etc.

This lab correlates with the previous labs of like emission spectroscopy, which had a
different process in a sense but reading the information was pretty similiar to this. So the idea of
reading the graphs should be not too difficult. Other labs like help as well like, the first lab which
was the density lab, which dealt heavily with conversions. This will help in converting the
information at the end to figure the numbers of the graphs. Some outcomes that might come out
are multiple lines that are different sizes in heights compared to others. Another outcome is that
the data might have been messed up and the sizes would be the same heights. To figure out
the final result is to match the graphs and the numbers given at the end after converting them.

Materials Needed: Two cuvettes, an absorption spectrometer, 10 ml Volumetric Flask, parafil,

Beral Pipettes, Sample of Name Brand Beverage, Solutions FD&C Blue, Red, and Yellow, and
any basic lab equipment.

Procedure

Turn on station and absorption spectrometer. Check to see that there are two cuvettes, one
black covered cuvette being used to zero out the spectrometer and another to
Next step is to create a mixture solution of both distilled water and the colored solutions, for
every each different solutions the ratios have to be different. The solutions have to equate to
about 5 mL. Ex: 1:4 ratio of distilled water to the X solution. which is being solved for v1. M1 is
equal to 1.0 Create at least 3 different ratios in total. Equation: m1v1=m2v2
1. First thing to do is fill up the volumetric flask of solution to whatever solution is being
used, next put in the rest of the ratio of distilled water, after that is completed take the
parafilm and put it on top of the hole of the flask. The flask then should be shaken a little
bit so that the mixture can mix well. After that is done the mixture is then poured into the
 cuvette, the cuvette should be filled about ¾ of the way there to get better results. Also
put a lid so the liquid doesn’t spill. (Repeat this set over and over for the other solutions.
2. Setting up your machine is an important step, first turn the machine on. The next step is
to press file, then press the button for ABSORPTION. After that is done press the button
that will ready up the button.
3. Next is to take it over to the absorption spectrometer. The machine should be hooked up
to a machine that can read the absorption. First thing to do is press the button that says
Station Number and press the assigned numbers on the station. Next step is to zero the
Absorption machine. By taking the black cuvette and putting it into the hole in the
machine. Put it so that lined edges faces the opposite of the light, give it a little push
down to make sure that it fits, after that press the zero to zero out the machine. After that
take the cuvette and press
4. After that is all complete put in the sample and press the sample button after. This data
should be received by the machine that was set up later. Go to the machine to check if
the data was sent correctly. If it was then press FILE, then press whatever button is the
SAVE button, then save it as 001 if it the first number in the series. (Repeat this set
multiple times).
5. The name brand should not be affected by any distilled water. Put it in the flask and
continue as normal. After the data is gathered and saved on the machine. All the data
should be saved on a computer which the data can be compiled and put together on one
graph.
6. After that is completed the data should be put together on a spreadsheet in either excel
or Google Sheets.