In Part I of this experiment, the objectives are to determine the sodium concentration in sports drinks and soft drinks as well as in sea water (Puget Sound) and fresh water (Lake Union) samples. The objectives of Part II of this experiment are to measure the visible-region emission lines of the hydrogen atom and use the emission line data to determine: a) the final energy level of the atom, b) the Rydberg constant, c) the allowed energy levels for the hydrogen atom, and d) the ionization energy from the final energy level of the atom.
In the first part of this lab, you will prepare several standard sodium solutions that will be analyzed using the atomic emission flame photometer, which you were introduced to in the second thermodynamics lab this quarter. You will generate a calibration curve that will then be used to determine the sodium concentration in several different samples provided in the lab: bottled drinks and water samples.
In the second part of this lab, you will use a spectrophotometer to accurately measure the emission lines of the hydrogen atom in the visible electromagnetic region (380 nm - 750 nm). You will then use the data (5 wavelengths) to achieve, through calculations and graphing, the objectives set forth above. The majority of your effort for this part of the lab will be focused on the data analysis in the post-lab report.