Simulation, ‘Beer’s Law Lab’
- Use a simulation to to allow students to explore the effects of the change in concentration of medium and path length on the absorbance of transmitted light. Encourage the students to note the observations by changing parameters, gather the data and to analyse the data.
- Initiate an enquiry-based discussion for further understanding of the observed correlations in the parameters.
- Use the simulation, ‘Beer’s Law Lab’ by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado, to explore the Beer-Lambert’s Law for absorbance/transmittance of incident light through a solution.
- Note the absorbance/transmittance values of incident light when the simulation is run.
- Try to run the simulation for different solution concentrations, pathlengths and wavelengths of incident light.
- Use the data generated to observe the correlations between these varying parameters (concentration of solution, pathlength and wavelength of incident light) and absorbance/transmittance values.
- Explore more for further understanding of these correlations: eg how much does the absorbance value change when the concentration of a solution is doubled.
Simulation, ‘Beer’s Law Lab’
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder