Cranberry Juice Spectroscopy Lab

Lelia Tolbert
Barnard College Dept. of Chemistry
10.12.2021
____________________________________________________________________________________

Abstract: In this experiment we had to determine the percentage of cranberry juice in a commercial
cranberry-apple juice blend. The Beer-Lambert Law was used to tell us the absorption values of a
solution, and how it was directly related to concentration. Using a LabQuest II UV-Vis
Spectrophotometer, the data was collected to determine the absorption values. After gathering data,
absorbance graphs and calibration curves were created to determine the λmax in the cranberry-apple juice
concentration. The concentration was determined to consist of 19.62% cranberry juice.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Experimental Observation:
Using approximately 30mL of 100% cranberry juice and 5mL of apple juice, these samples were
prepared to be eventually chosen for the most suitable wavelengths for measurements from the complete
absorption spectra. A cuvette was filled with approximately ¾ of distilled water to serve as the “blank”
for the experiment. A second cuvette was then filled with 100% apple juice. This sample was eventually
used to find the wavelength of max absorbance of 100% apple juice. Using a 10.00mL volumetric pipet,
10.00mL of 100% cranberry juice was put into a 100.0mL volumetric flask. The volumetric flask was
then filled to the mark with distilled water, capped, and inverted to mix the sample. This was because
the 100% cranberry juice was too concentrated to measure the maximum of the solution.Filling a
cuvette with approximately ¾ of the diluted solution of the 100% cranberry juice, this sample was then
used to find the max cranberry.
A Labquest II Spectrophotometer was used within the wavelength range of 380-750nm, or within the
visible range. After calibrating the labquest II spectrophotometer with the water “blank”, the data was
then collected for the absorption spectrum of the apple juice sample by placing the 2nd cuvette inside of
the Spectrophotometer. The data was then saved and the absorption spectrum of the 10% cran solution
over the same wavelength range was taken. The spectrum contained two absorbance features, one in the
visible range and one near the U-V. The max cran was then recorded for both of those features and
saved. The Spectrophotometer was unplugged and a USB was inserted to collect the saved data/
Microsoft Excel was used to transfer the data from the Spectrophotometer into the graphs seen below.
Calculation and Result:

λmax apple juice 392.50nm

(nm)
λmax cranberry 516.50nm
juice (nm)
Standard #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Unk.
cranberry
solution
Desired
concentration: 1 5 10 20 30 -------
% by volume
Desired volume
-------
of stock (mL) 1.00 5.00 10.00 20.00 30.00
FINAL buret
reading -------
1.05 6.02 16.01 36.01 35.02
(±0.02mL)
INITIAL buret
-------
reading (±mL) 0.01 1.05 6.02 16.01 5.02
 Actual volume
-------
of stock (mL) 1.04 4.97 9.99 20.00 30.00
Exact
concentration -------
1.04 4.97 9.99 20.00 30.00
(% by volume)
Absorbance of 0.028 0.232 0.484 1.024 1.476 0.974
solution (A)

Cranberry Juice Calibration Curve Equation

y = 0.0502x - 0.0111 R² = 0.999
Cranberry Juice Concentration Equation
y = 0.0502x - 0.0111  Set y = 0.974 to solve for unknown concentration
0.974 = 0.0502x - 0.0111  x = 19.62

Calibration Curve of 5 Known Cranberry Juice Concentrations

1.6

1.4 f(x) = 0.0501632259007014 x − 0.0111288182410483

R² = 0.999035695479014

1.2

1
Absorbance

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Cranberry Juice Concentratin (% Volume)

Discussion:
(This will be the key part of the report in many respects that will demonstrate how well you understand what
happened in the experiment . Your discussion should contain two parts: an introduction to the experiment
following by commenting on the results you obtained and interpreting what the results mean. In additional, to
explain any results which are unexpected).
Conclusions:
(The conclusions should include restatements of the chemical question being studied, what the major result was
and what is known based on that result. Any conclusions that can be drawn from the data must be stated and
supported by a discussion).

Supplemental materials:

List any attached supporting information (carbon copies of your notebook, sample calculations, graphs,
etc.) here.

References:

List any references here except the lab manual on CANVAs

Introduction
Using approximately 30mL of 100% cranberry juice and 5mL of apple juice, these samples were
prepared to be eventually chosen for the most suitable wavelengths for measurements from the
complete absorption spectra. A cuvette was filled with approximately ¾ of distilled water to
serve as the “blank” for the experiment. A second cuvette was then filled with 100% apple juice.
This sample was eventually used to find the wavelength of max absorbance of 100% apple
juice. Using a 10.00mL volumetric pipet, 10.00mL of 100% cranberry juice was put into a
100.0mL volumetric flask. The volumetric flask was then filled to the mark with distilled water,
capped, and inverted to mix the sample. This was because the 100% cranberry juice was too
concentrated to measure the maximum of the solution.Filling a cuvette with approximately ¾ of
the diluted solution of the 100% cranberry juice, this sample was then used to find the max
cranberry.
A Labquest II Spectrophotometer was used within the wavelength range of 380-750nm, or
within the visible range. After calibrating the labquest II spectrophotometer with the water
“blank”, the data was then collected for the absorption spectrum of the apple juice sample by
placing the 2nd cuvette inside of the Spectrophotometer. The data was then saved and the
absorption spectrum of the 10% cran solution over the same wavelength range was taken. The
spectrum contained two absorbance features, one in the visible range and one near the U-V.
The max cran was then recorded for both of those features and saved. The Spectrophotometer
was unplugged and a USB was inserted to collect the saved data/
Microsoft Excel was used to transfer the data from the Spectrophotometer into the graphs seen
below.

Post Lab Questions

Briefly (2-3 sentences each) answer the following. These will get you thinking about next week

a. What is a calibration curve and what is it used for?

A calibration curve is the plot of absorbance measured as a function of concentration of solutions
of known concentrations. It determines unknown qualities of a concentration of a substance in
the unknown
sample by comparing that unknown to the standard samples that are known.

b. After comparing the 10% cranberry juice absorption spectrum to that of pure apple
juice, does your data suggest if apple juice contributes to the absorbance of
cranberry-apple juice at the λmaxof cranberry juice? Which wavelength should you use
for
next week's experiment?
Based on my graph, the λmax of cranberry juice is much higher than apple juice at that same
wavelength.
This means that apple juice does not interfere with the cranberry juice solution. However, if the
max absorbances are show for the smaller wavelengths of the 10% cranberry and 100% apple
juices, the apple juice has a close max absorbance to the cranberry solution which means that it
is interfering with the cranberry-apple juice which is something that should be avoided in the
week 2
experiment.

c. When you look at cranberry and apple juice, the colors that are visible are the
wavelengths that are being transmitted through the juices. What colors/parts of
the visible spectrum are absorbed for each juice? How do the colors that are not absorbed
contribute to the observed colors of cranberry and apple juice?

All parts of the visible spectrum are being absorbed that are not seen in the cranberry and apple
juice solutions. Green and blue are the colors being absorbed while the red,orange, and yellow
colors are being reflected in the 100% apple juice solution. Purple and green are the colors
being absorbed for the 10% cranberry juice solution while violet, and yellow are being reflected
in the 10% cranberry juice solution. The colors that are not absorbed are being reflected and is
what is visibly shown in the cranberry and apple juice solutions.
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