Beer's Law Lab

Stephen Libbing
Mr. Seibert
September 3, 2010
Lab Partner: Eric Meyers

Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to determine the concentration of an unknown nickel (II)
sulfate solution.
Procedure: 1) Add about 30 mL of 0.40 M NiSO4 stock solution to a 100-mL beaker. Add about
30 mL of distilled water to another 100-mL beaker.
2) Label four clean, dry test tubes 1-4 (the fifth solution is the beaker of 0.40 M
NiSO4). Using a pipet, put 2, 4, 6, and 8 mL of 0.40 M NiSO4 solution into Test Tubes
1-4, respectively. With a second pipet, put 8, 6, 4, and 2 mL of distilled water into
Test Tubes 1-4, respectively.
3) Turn on the Spec 20 Spectrophotometer. Allow it to warm up for fifteen minutes.
4) Prepare a blank by filling an empty cuvette full with distilled water. Seal the
cuvette with a lid.

5) Measure each of your solutions in the Spectrophotometer and record your

observations.
Data:

Volumes and Concentrations of Test Tubes

Trial
Number

0.40 M NiSO4
(mL)

Distilled H2O
(mL)

Concentration
(M)

0.08

0.16

0.24

0.32

~10

0.40

Trial

Concentration (mol/L)

Absorbance

0 (distilled water)

0.00

0.113

0.080

0.131

0.16

0.155

0.24

0.180

0.32

0.201

0.40

0.195

Unknown A

0.119

Unknown B

0.162

Calculations: The graph below shows the relation of concentrations of NiSO4 to absorbance. The
graph was calculated by plugging in the points to Microsoft Excel. Then, Excel found the line of
best fit with the y-intercept as 0.113. This number is the absorbance of distilled water which

would make the concentration of NiSO4 0.00. Then, to find the concentration of the two
unknowns, I simply plugged in their absorbance for y and solved for x in the equation for the line
of best fit that Excel gave me. My graph's calculations are also below.

Absorbance of NiSO4 Solutions

0.250
0.200

f(x) = 0.24x + 0.11

R = 0.98

0.150
Absorbance

0.100
0.050
0.000
0.0500.1000.1500.2000.2500.3000.3500.4000.450
Concentration of NiSO4 (mol/L)

Unknown Calculations
Concentration of Unknown
0.025 mol/L
A
Concentration of Unknown
0.20 mol/L
B
Conclusion: With enough known variables, I was able to find the concentrations of the
unknowns. The concentration of Unknown A is 0.025 mol/L, and Unknown B is 0.20 mol/L.
Discussion of Theory: The theory demonstrated in this lab is that when a solution is less
concentrated its color is less intense.
Experimental Sources of Error: The NiSO4 solution was most likely not exactly 0.40 M. It was
most likely something around 0.3999 M or .4001 M. This would throw the calculations off
slightly. Another possible experimental source of error would be the Spec 20 Spectrophotometer

not being calibrated correctly beforehand. The calculations would be precise but not accurate.
This, however, would not matter in the end because finding the concentration of the unknowns
only required that the calculations to be precise.
Questions: 1) NiSO4 absorbs all the colors of the rainbow except for those that correspond to its
color, green. This color is then reflected or transmitted and picked up by our eyes which send a
message to the brain saying that NiSO4 is green.
2) The absorbance and transmission spectra are directly related in which both can be calculated
from the other.
3) An error that may have occurred would be the Spec 20 not being calculated. This is a
systematic error that could easily be fixed for future experiments. All that would be needed to fix
it would be a recalibration.