Low-Cost Colorimetric Applications in 2e Education
Department
Chemistry
Major
Chemistry
Research Advisor
Glaser, Rainer, 1957-
Advisor's Department
Chemistry
Funding Source
OURE Fellows of Missouri S&T
Abstract
Educational inequality runs rampant in Missouri secondary education. At the root of this problem lies a lack of funding for rural and impoverished school districts. Colorimetry can be used in low-cost experiments that might otherwise be inaccessible to certain classrooms. We have developed a colorimetric method of determining the concentrations of colored analytes, and we apply this method to the traditional acid/base titration experiment using free user-friendly software. We will report results of two titration setups: a weak acid/strong base titration with phenolphthalein indicator, and a weak base/strong acid titration with methyl red indicator. The results of the colorimetric method will be compared with pH titration curves as well as kinetic simulations and UV-Visible spectroscopy. We will establish the experimental error in the colorimetric method and compare the merits and deficiencies of the various methods. We will also discuss methods of outreach and make recommendations to educators implementing this experiment.
Biography
Sara McCauley is a senior in Chemistry with a degree emphasis in polymers and coatings. She has been doing undergraduate research with Dr. Rainer Glaser since the Fall of 2018, and her work focuses on the kinetics and mechanism of Belousov-Zhabotinsky oscillating reactions. In parallel, she has developed and validated an analytical colorimetric method, and is pursuing applications of the method in fields such as education and psychology. In the future, she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Chemistry, focusing on research in polymers and coatings.
Presentation Type
OURE Fellows Final Oral Presentation
Document Type
Presentation
Location
Ozark Room
Presentation Date
14 Apr 2022, 11:00 am - 11:30 am
Low-Cost Colorimetric Applications in 2e Education
Ozark Room
Educational inequality runs rampant in Missouri secondary education. At the root of this problem lies a lack of funding for rural and impoverished school districts. Colorimetry can be used in low-cost experiments that might otherwise be inaccessible to certain classrooms. We have developed a colorimetric method of determining the concentrations of colored analytes, and we apply this method to the traditional acid/base titration experiment using free user-friendly software. We will report results of two titration setups: a weak acid/strong base titration with phenolphthalein indicator, and a weak base/strong acid titration with methyl red indicator. The results of the colorimetric method will be compared with pH titration curves as well as kinetic simulations and UV-Visible spectroscopy. We will establish the experimental error in the colorimetric method and compare the merits and deficiencies of the various methods. We will also discuss methods of outreach and make recommendations to educators implementing this experiment.
