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1998
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February
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In the Laboratory
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Applying Statistics in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory: Experiments with Food Dyes
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Kathryn A. Thomasson, Sheila Lofthus-Herschman, Michelle Humbert, and Norman Kulevsky
University of North Dakota, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 9024, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9024
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February 1998
Vol. 75 No. 2
p. 231
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| Abstract |
Simple experiments have been developed using visible spectroscopy to introduce students to statistical analysis of data. Students in chemistry often gain their first substantial experience with statistics in undergraduate chemistry laboratories (Quantitative Analysis and Physical Chemistry). Simple experiments using Beer's Law of absorption spectroscopy help introduce students to applying statistics. We have chosen two food coloring dyes found in many household items: FD and C Red #40 and FD and C Blue #1. To learn to evaluate their data, the students determine the concentration of a solution at a variety of confidence limits, and treat their data for suspicious values using the Q-test. Other experiments can be done to learn the concept of pooled variance. For example, students compare solutions they make themselves to determine if they are the same to what confidence level. Furthermore, Beer's Law can be used to teach linear least squares fitting by using a serial dilution of a colored compound and measuring absorbance for each concentration. Finally, by using common household substances and a simple analysis technique, students find that statistics can be considerably less threatening, and in some cases even fun.
See Letter re: this article.
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| More Information |
 Citation |
Thomasson, Kathryn A.; Lofthus-Herschman, Sheila; Humbert, Michelle; Kulevsky, Norman. J. Chem. Educ. 1998 75 231.
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Keywords |
Physical Chemistry, Dyes, Quantitative Analysis, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Laboratory Instruction, and Analytical Chemistry
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History |
Created:
Last Updated: |
June 28, 1999
June 24, 2005
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Link to Letter added (May 2004).
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| Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues >
1998
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February
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231
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