Kmno4 Experiment
Kmno4 Experiment
Kmno4 Experiment
ABSORPTION SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
PURPOSE: To determine the concentration of a solution of KMnO4 by
spectrophotometric means.
INTRODUCTION:
When a beam of ordinary white light is passed through a prism or reflected off of a
diffraction grating, it is separated into a variety of colors. This happens in nature when
sunlight passes through water droplets on a rainy day to cause a rainbow. These rainbow
colors, visible to the human eye, can be described in terms of their wavelengths as well as
their colors.
- The wavelength is a function of the energy of the photon. Our eyes detect the light and our
brain interprets these different wavelengths and energies as different colors of light.
- Short wavelengths of about 350 nm are high energy and are correspond with violet.
As the wavelength increases to give lower energy light, all the colors of the rainbow are
exhibited ending with red light at about 750 nm.
- Shorter wavelengths, such as ultra-violet light and x-rays, and longer wavelengths, such as
infrared and radio waves, are not visible.
- The energy of a photon Ephoton = hc where
h = Planck’s constant, 6.626 X 10-34 J/s, and
c is the velocity of light, 3.00 X 108 m/s.
λ is the wavelength, although usually expressed in nanometers, must be in meters in this
equation.
- When this visible white light strikes a substance, the substance may;
(1) reflect the light if it is opaque,
(2) transmit the light if it is transparent to the light striking it, or
(3) absorb the light.
- Substances absorb light by changing their electronic and vibrational quantum states or
modes. These modes, which are related to harmonic variations of bond lengths and angles
and electronic configurations, have energies on the order of ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis)
light.
- Absorbed UV-vis light can increase the energy of the mode where other forms of
electromagnetic radiation cannot. Each mode is sensitive to the slightly different
wavelength of light and will only absorb that wavelength.
- The color of a substance depends on which wavelength of light it absorbs. If a substance
absorbs red light only, it will appear green in color, green being the average color of all the
unabsorbed wavelengths.
- Not only can substances be identified by color, the intensity of the color can indicate the
concentration of that substance when it is in solution.
The intensity of the color is directly related to the amount of light absorbed by the
substance.
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- A spectrophotometer is an instrument that is used for the analysis of solutions.
- If light is absorbed by the sample, the intensity of the transmitted light exiting the sample
(I) will be less than the intensity of the incident light (Io).
The ratio of transmitted light intensity to the incident light intensity is the transmittance, T:
T = I/I0
- The extent to which the light is absorbed by the sample is due to the concentration of the
sample, C.
If the light is of the proper wavelength to be absorbed by the substance, varying amounts
will be absorbed depending on the concentration.
When the concentration is high, many absorbing molecules will be in the path of the light
and will absorb it, and less light will be transmitted.
When the concentration is low, fewer absorbing molecules will be struck by the light and
little light will be absorbed; thus more light is transmitted in this case.
- Another factor that affects the intensity of the light exiting the sample is the path length, l,
which is the distance the light travels through the sample.
The greater the distance the light must travel through the solution (path length), the greater
the number of absorbing molecules the light will strike.
- The relationship between transmittance, and those factors that directly affect the
intensity, l and C, is logarithmic and proportional.
The relationship is expressed in the BeerLambert Law (or simply Beer’s Law):
− log10 T = A = lC Here ε is a proportionality constant called the molar extinction
coefficient (also known as the absorptivity) and A is the absorbance of light by the sample.
- The extinction coefficient depends on the structure of the species absorbing the light and
the wavelength of the light absorbed.
A larger extinction coefficient means that substance absorbs more light.
- Each pure substance has its own unique extinction coefficient.
- The absorbance, A, is a direct experimental measure of the light absorbed by the sample.
In this experiment you will measure the absorbance directly to determine the molar
concentration of a sample of potassium permanganate.
Objectives: In this experiment there will be four basic tasks to accomplish using the
spectrophotometer.
1. Determine the wavelength at which a selected substance (KMnO 4) will absorb best (λmax)
2. Establish a standard absorption curve from which calibration graph can be plotted.
- Make a plot of the absorbance (vertical axis) verses concentration (horizontal axis).
A straight line relationship will result, from which you can determine the equation for this
straight line.
Determine the slope of the line.
- The Beer-Lambert Law states that A = εlC. So the slope of the line will equal εl.
- The path length (approximately l cm) through the cuvette is constant since the same
cuvette is used for all solutions;
3. Analyze an unknown solution (KMnO4) for concentration. (Provided by the one in charge)
4. Determine the concentration of Manganese in cement.
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Requirements:
visible spectrophotometer, 50ml burette, (8) 50ml volumetric flasks, 0.002M potassium
permanganate.
A. Procedure:
Run 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14mls of 0.002M KMNO 4 from burette into the 50ml volumetric
flasks and make up to the mark with distilled water. Shake well to form a homogeneous
solution. Label these samples 1 - 8
Results
a. calculate the Molarity of your prepared solutions and plot a graph of absorbance against
molar concentration.
b. From this calibration curve, determine the concentration of the unknown and of the
cement samples.
c. calculate the extinction coefficient of potassium permanganate at the wavelength of
maximum absorbance.
Discussion:
1. from linearity of your graph of absorbance against concentration, decide whether Beer-
Lambert’s law is obeyed.
2. What colour is the light at the wavelength of maximum absorbance of potassium
permanganate?
3. Why is potassium permanganate purple?
4. Light is a form of energy, what effect does this energy have on the molecules of
potassium permanganate which absorb it?
5. Why is the light most strongly absorb only at a particular wavelength?