Questions:

1. Why is the experiment run at a wavelength near 445 nm?

That wavelength is the color that the solution was, so we ran ours at 459.0 nm
because that was the color of our most concentrated solution. The most
concentrated solution absorbs the least amount of light, so the spectrometer can
get an accurate reading of the wavelength reflected.
2. What is the relationship between concentration and absorbance in Part I of the
experiment?
The relationship between concentration and absorbance in part I is Beer’s Law,
which, when graphed, forms a straight line which can be described by the
equation 𝑦 = 3890𝑥 + .02475, in which x represents concentration and y
represents absorbance. So, if you multiply concentration by 3890 and add .02475,
you’ll end up with the absorbance. Inversely, if you subtract .02475 from the
absorbance and then divide it by 3890, you’ll end up with the concentration.
3. Why is the Fe2+ concentration so much higher than the KSCN concentration in
Part I of the experiment?
The reddish/orangish color came from the Fe+, so it couldn’t be drowned out by
too much KSCN to drown it out. The quantity of Fe+ is kept constant and
different quantities of KSCN added to dilute the color and concentration of the
solution.
4. What is the difference between absorbance and % transmission, and what formula
relates them?
Transmission is quantity of light reflected, and absorption is the quantity of light
that is absorbed. Colors that are not absorbed are bounced back and the substance
appears that/those color/s. If nothing is absorbed, than transmission is 100%. If
nothing is transmitted, absorption is infinite. Transmission and absorption are
related by the Beer’s Law formula, A=ebc.
Conclusion:
In this experiment, the equilibrium constant for the reaction between potassium
thiocyanate and iron (III) nitrate was determined by using a spectrophotometer to study a
series of solutions of known concentrations of [Fe(SCN)]+2 to determine absorbance’s at
a specific wavelength (459.0nm). Then, a number of trials combined different quantities
of Fe(NO3)3 and KSCN to form [Fe(SCN0]+2. Using the graph generated from the first
part of the experiment (concentrations of [Fe(SCN0]+2), the concentration of all species
in the product [Fe(SCN)]+2 were determined. This lab taught the valuable lesson that light
can measure concentration, and so give an equilibrium constant, and it taught how to
select the correct wavelength on which to take the measurements and how to find the
concentrations from the raw data generated by the spectrophotometer. My group got
relatively good, but not splendid data, with 11.0% relative uncertainty. We had no outlier
(as determined by performing a Q test on the lowest and highest values) and came up
with an average Keq of 357, which is relatively close to both the lowest value (306) and
the highest (404). It was not particularly precise data, but 11.0% relative uncertainty is
certainly a promising figure.