FLOW CHART

1. Optimizing the Burner System

Adjust burner position

Aspirate the known until a maximum
Prepare blank
standard using 2ppm absorbance is
solution
and 4 ppm displayed on the
screen

Check absorbance of
blank solution again. It
should be zero

2. Checking the Performance

Enter the sample

Measured
concentration and
In the Analyses menu, Characteristic
instrument reading
click on Characteristic Concentration should
(maximum
Concentration be within 20% of the
absorbance) then
Comparison CC value
press Tab key

Characteristic Conc. Value = Close CC window.

The characteristic
0.0044 x known conc. Used concentration value
Absorbance for known conc. used can also be calculated
using
 3. Creating a Calibration Curve and Analyzing Samples
a. Creating a calibration curve

Immerse the Click on Analyze

nebulizer tube into Select the calibration Standard. Repeat this
blank solution. In the standard needed to step for every
Manual Analysis analyze from drop- calibration solution
Control window, down list 0.5ppm, 1.0ppm,
click on Analyze 1.5ppm, 2.0ppm and
Blank 2.5ppm.

Check the calibration

curve. If any of the
standards appear to
be off the calibration
curve, then it can be
edited

b. Analyzing the samples

Immerse the
Check on Analyze
nebulizer tube into
Samples
sample solution

4. Shut down the instrument by following Step 7 in the Appendix

 RESULTS

1. Checking performance of the instrument

𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 x 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄. 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅

Characteristic Conc. Value =
Absorbance for known conc. used

 2ppm
0.0044 x 2.0
=
0.095
= 0.093 mg/L

 4ppm
0.0044 x 4.0
=
0.19
= 0.093 mg/L

2. Creating a Standard Calibration Curve

No. Sample Copper Concentration (ppm), x-axis Absorbance (nm), y-axis

1 Std 1 0.5 0.032

2 Std 2 1.0 0.046

3 Std 3 1.5 0.069

4 Std 4 2.0 0.095

5 Std 5 2.5 0.118

6 Sample 1 Unknown 1 0.040

7 Sample 2 Unknown 2 0.079

Table 3:Data
DISCUSSION

For this experiment, we had done an analysis to determine the presence of Copper in
drinking water sample and determining the amount of Copper. This experiment was started
with preparation of copper standard solution. We were required to prepare 100ppm of
copper standard solution in 100ml volumetric flask using the equation

𝑀1𝑉1 = 𝑀2𝑉2

Next, 1% (v/v) of concentrated nitric acid were added into 100ml volumetric flask and
has been marked up to the volume using deionized water. For the preparation of 2.0ppm
and 4.0ppm of copper standard solution, we will use the 100pm copper standard solution
prepared before. In addition, we were to prepare another five different concentrations of
copper standard solution which is 0.5ppm, 1.0ppm, 1.5ppm, 2.0ppm and 2.5ppm using
100ppm copper standard solution and add 1% (v/v) of concentrated nitric acid into each
of the volumetric flask. After the preparation is finished, we began to analyze the
standard solutions.

To start analyzing the standard solution, we must first optimize the burner system to
ensure the smoothness of the experiment and to avoid errors in the result. After that, the
performance of the instrument must also be checked to find out the Characteristic
Concentration Value. We have to calculate it using the formula

𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 x 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄. 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅

Characteristic Conc. Value =
Absorbance for known conc. used

After those steps are done, we had analyzed the samples and creating a standard calibration
curve for Copper with the absorbance as y-axis and concentration as the x-axis. So based
on our result, characteristic concentration value that were calculated are 0.093 mg/L for
both of the concentration which is 2ppm and 4ppm. The absorbance value obtained after
analyzing the sample was recorded in Table 3. From the results, we can calculate the
concentration of Unknown 1 and Unknown 2 using

Y=m𝑥+C

Concentration of Unknown 1:

Y=m𝑥+C
0.040 = 0.0101(x) + 0.0004
X = 0.2625
Concentration of Unknown 2:

Y=m𝑥+C
0.079 = 0.0101(x) + 0.0004
X = 0.1329
CONCLUSION

In conclusion, based on the results obtained, the Beer’s Lambert Law was successfully
obeyed. The absorbance is directly proportional to the pathlength and the concentration of
atomic vapor in flame. From the experiment that had done the result for volume for the
serial dilution are using the formula. The volumes are calculated from the concentration
which is 0.5ppm, 1.0ppm, 1.5ppm, 2.0ppm and 2.5ppm cooper stock. Wavelength scan are
used to determine at what the wavelength the cooper able to absorb. The result for the
wavelength is 324.8nm. The standard calibration graph was determining the absorbance
towards the concentration given. From the experiment the concentration of unknown 1 is
0.2625 ppm and concentration of unknown 2 is 0.1329 ppm and its absorbance are 0.040
and 0.079 respectively.

RECOMMENDATION

There is some recommendation that can be done to improve the results obtained from this
experiment. One of them is making sure that the capillary tube is inserted correctly inside
the solution. This is to avoid miscalculation of results. Next, after inserting the capillary
tube into the sample solution, it must then be put back inside the blank solution so that the
value will be calibrated again.
 TUTORIALS

1. What is the function of monochromator?

The function of the monochromator is to isolate a single atomic resonance line from the
spectrum of lines emitted by the hollow cathode lamp. Essentially it is an adjustable filter
that selects a specific, narrow region of the spectrum for transmission to the detector and
excludes all wavelengths outside this region.

2. You are given a 100ppm mercury stock solution. What is the volume needed in mL to
prepare a 15ppm standard stock solution in 50 mL volumetric flask?

M1V1 = M2V2

(100ppm) V1 = (15ppm) (50mL)

(15ppm) (50mL)
V1 =
(100ppm)
V1 = 7.5 mL

3. How would you determine the performance of the atomic absorption spectrophotometer?

Many metals can be determined by direct aspiration of samples into an air‐acetylene flame
in Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). The precision and accuracy of environmental
samples analysed by AAS technique depends on the different factors. The capability of
AAS can be well defined by considering its performance characteristic, detection limit,
accuracy and precision. The analytical performance of AAS can be evaluated by drawing
quality control charts, which defines whether the analysis can continue or stop. The paper
discusses the evaluation characteristic of AAS used for detection of low level concentration
and its trend for detection.

4. Calculate the Characteristic Concentration Value for 2ppm copper standard that has the
absorbance value of 0.194 absorbance.

𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟒𝟒 x 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄. 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅

Characteristic Conc. Value =
Absorbance for known conc. used

0.0044 x 2.0
=
0.194

= 0.045
5. Label all the components below with the correct component name.

Components:

1. Hollow Cathode Lamp

2. Slit burner
3. Nebulizer
4. Flow spoiler
5. Nebulizer adjusting knob
 REFERENCES

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_absorption_spectroscopy , Atomic absorption

spectroscopy – Wikipedia
2. Analytical Chemistry Lab Manual
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/atomic-absorption-
spectrometry , Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy – An Overview
4. http://lab-training.com/2013/05/08/introduction-to-aas-component-parts/ , Atomic
Absorption Spectrometer