As the first experiment of the new semester, the objective of the lab will be to investigate the kinetics of bromophenol blue in the presence of a base, in this case, sodium hydroxide. As the hydoxide continues to attack the bromophenol blue, the solution will go through a series of color changes of yellow to blue, to transparent. Since the initial color change of yellow to blue is almost instantanious, this lab shall consentrate on the much slower color change of blue to transparent. Through the aid of a Spec 20 and a little patience, a rate constant will hopefully be acquired from the data recorded.

     What will also be required for this lab will be a computer aided assignment that can be downloaded from here. The exercise is a kinetic simulation that will require some computer skills and inginuity to complete. The assignment is in Microsoft Excel format, and thus will require the Excel program or another compatible spreadsheet program. Microsoft Excel is readily availible in the campus PC computer labs, i.e. the ECE lab, the Sam's Place lab

If Netscape begins to view the file (i.e. puts up odd characters on the screen), that just means that is attempting to read the file. Just save the files from there and they will work fine in Excel.

The Equipment:

beaker                       micropipette bulb        graduated cylinder

eyedropper                pipette                              Spec 20