Colorimeter facts for kids
A colorimeter is a cool tool that measures colors! It helps us figure out how much of a certain substance is dissolved in a liquid. It works by checking how much light the liquid soaks up.
Think of it like this: different liquids soak up different colors of light. If there's more of a substance in the liquid, it will soak up even more light. This idea is called the Beer-Lambert law, and it's super helpful for scientists!
What's Inside a Colorimeter?
A colorimeter has a few main parts that work together:
- A light source, which is usually a regular light bulb.
- A small opening (called an aperture) that can be made bigger or smaller.
- Colorful filters that pick out specific light colors.
- A sensor (detector) that measures how much light gets through the liquid.
Why are Filters Important?
Special filters are used to choose the exact color of light that the liquid absorbs the most. This makes the colorimeter's measurements much more accurate. The liquids you want to test are usually put into small, clear containers called cuvettes.
Most colorimeters use light colors between 400 and 700 nanometers. If you need to use ultraviolet light (which is below 400 nanometers), you'd need a different kind of lamp and special filters.
What Does a Colorimeter Show?
The results from a colorimeter can be shown in different ways, like on graphs, in tables, or on a digital screen. You can often print the data or save it on a computer.
The results might show up as:
- Transmittance: This is a percentage (from 0-100%) that tells you how much light passed *through* the liquid.
- Absorbance: This is a different way to show how much light the liquid *soaked up*. A higher absorbance means more light was absorbed. For the best results, scientists usually try to keep the absorbance readings between 0 and 1.
