So far, my new job appears to be working out pretty well. My official job title is "test engineer" although I'm neither an engineer nor well versed in the testing protocols so beloved by product engineers, but it's a job and it allows me to get my feet wet in the world of fuel cells. It's a good time to be getting in on this project, as the number of chemistry-related subprojects is beginning to

The SPECTRO Spectrophotometer is a portable spectrophotometer that is easier to use and more accurate than anything in its price range. The portable spectrophotometers use a menu driven display where tests and functions are selected from scrolling menus for ultimate simplicity. The portable spectrophotometer’s results are displayed as a %T, absorbance, and concentration. The portable

The SMART2 Colorimeter is a user-friendly handheld colorimeter that is an ideal direct reading colorimeter for complete on site water analyses. All pre-programmed tests can be run on the compact hand held colorimeters and each test features automatic wavelength selection the entire multi-LED optical system is embedded in the light chambers and optimized for the test reagent systems. You can

Most test substances in water are colorless and undetectable to the human eye. To test for their presence we must find a way to “see” them. A colorimeter or spectrophotometer can be used to measure any test substance that is itself colored or can be reacted to produce a color. In fact a simple definition of colorimetry is “the measurement of color” and a colorimetric method is “any technique

The earliest Dobson Spectrophotometer was built in the mid-1920s by G.M.B. Dobson for the purpose of investigating atmospheric circulation by measuring changes in atmospheric ozone. This ground-based instrument measures column ozone by the technique of differential absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light with the sun (or moon) as a light source.By comparing the UV light intensity at wavelengths that

The Spectronic 20 spectrometer is widely used in teaching laboratories. The specific instructions will differ with other models, but the principles remain.The instrument must have been warm for at least 15 min. prior to use. The power switch doubles as the zeroing control. Use the wavelength knob to set the desired wavelength.

A spectrophotometer consists of two instruments, namely a spectrometer for producing light of any selected color (wavelength), and a photometer for measuring the intensity of light. The instruments are arranged so that liquid in a cuvette can be placed between the spectrometer beam and the photometer. The amount of light passing through the tube is measured by the photometer. The photometer

The experiment models the emission of photons by a lamp, the absorption of those photons by a solute in a sample solution, and the detection of the photons by a photomultiplier tube. The photons are represented by little balls (a particulate matter model rather than a wave model). The simulation permits the simultaneous use of two different wavelengths.The user may specify several operating

My freshman year was almost over. Final exams would take place in about two weeks and I was already beginning to prepare myself mentally. Almost as an afterthought, the chemistry professor assigned us one last chapter to read on solid-state chemistry. It wasn’t a real assignment – the professor never mentioned the chapter again and as I correctly surmised, it wasn’t going to be covered on the

Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES or OES [optical emission spectroscopy]) uses quantitative measurement of the optical emission from excited atoms to determine analyte concentration. Analyte atoms in solution are aspirated into the excitation region where they are desolvated, vaporized, and atomized by a flame, discharge, or plasma. These high-temperature atomization sources provide sufficient

You are already aware that photons interact with molecules to induce transitions between energy states. In the discussion of Raman spectroscopy, we use language from particle theory and we say that a photon is scattered by the molecular system. Most photons are elastically scattered, a process which is called Rayleigh scattering. In Rayleigh scattering, the emitted photon has the same wavelength

High Performance Liquid Chromatography broad peak causes and solutions for this problem.Cause Solution Analytes eluted early due to sample overload Dilute sample 1:10 and reinject Detector-cell volume too large Use smallest possible cell volume consistent with sensitivity needs;

Preparative HPLC refers to the process of isolation and purification of compounds. Important is the degree of solute purity and the throughput, which is the amount of compound produced per unit time. This differs from analytical HPLC, where the focus is to obtain information about the sample compound. The information that can be obtained includes identification, quantification, and resolution of

HPLC is a popular method of analysis because it is easy to learn and use and is not limited by the volatility or stability of the sample compound. The history section illustrates the HPLC's evolution from the 1970's to the 1990's. Modern HPLC has many applications including separation, identification, purification, and quantification of various compounds. It is important for those using HPLC to

I came across the following video this weekend. Apparently powdered donuts are an important constituent in the drive to harness the power of the sun. Yes, nano-chemists will do anything for attention. And yes, magnetic stirrers DO rule!So the powdered sugar in donuts can contain up to 1% TiO2? I guess organic chemistry always benefits from the addition of some inorganic chemicals.This video is

Six months ago the world had never heard of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).However, by mid-July, more than 8000 probable cases of this potentially fatal disease had been reported in 32 areas around the world.More than 800 deaths resulted from those reported cases, and the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled SARS “the first severe and easily transmissible new disease to emerge in the