A Simple, Student-Built Spectrometer To Explore Infrared Radiation and Greenhouse Gases

• Mitchell R. M. Bruce ^[1] ; Tiffany A. Wilson ; Alice E. Bruce ; S. Max Bessey ; Virginia J. Flood
  1. [1] University of Maine

     University of Maine

     Town of Orono, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 93, Nº 11, 2016, págs. 1908-1915
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In this experiment, students build a spectrometer to explore infrared radiation and greenhouse gases in an inquiry-based investigation to introduce climate science in a general chemistry lab course. The lab is based on the exploration of the thermal effects of molecular absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse and non-greenhouse gases. A novel feature of the experiment has students building an infrared spectrometer, using a hot plate as an IR source, a sample compartment employing a plastic cuvette holder with open sides (to standardize the path length), and a low-cost infrared thermometer. Students, working in groups, (1) explore a PhET simulation; (2) design a set of experiments in response to a scientific question, “comparing the absorption of infrared light in the presence and absence of each different sample of gas, are there any significant differences that can be observed experimentally?”; (3) reflect on climate science and their experimental results by visiting the American Chemical Society Climate Science Toolkit; and (4) communicate their results in lab by constructing and presenting a poster. Assessment of student responses to a pre- and postexperiment question suggests that the lab has a positive influence on student understanding of the concepts involved in identifying greenhouse gases. Results from postexperiment questions also provide information for what aspects of the online resources students found useful.