Chemist ______________________
Date 
Toxins: Beer’s Law Lab
Purpose: To determine whether the amount of blue dye in Gatorade is toxic.
Materials:
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Vernier Lab Pro
Vernier Colorimeter
Computer
Cuvette
Test Tube Rack
5 Test Tubes
Test tube clamp
5 mL pipet
Red pipet pump
Stock Solution of FD&C Blue 1 Dye (0.00002 M)
Gatorade G2: Blue
Procedure:
1. Label 5 clean, dry, test tubes A-E. Place them in your test tube rack.
2. Obtain 15 mL of the stock solution containing FD&C Blue 1 using the
class pipet. Place this solution in test tube A.
3. Create a series of solutions with known concentrations of FD&C blue dye
according to the table below. Use what you know about calculating
molarity after a dilution to determine the new molarities.
Test Tube
A
B
C
D
E
mL of water
0.0 mL
1.0 mL
2.0 mL
3.0 mL
4.0 mL
mL of FD&C Blue
#1 Dye from Test
Tube A
5.0 mL
4.0 mL
3.0 mL
2.0 mL
1.0 mL
Molarity
0.000020
M
4. Connect a Colorimeter to Channel 1 of the Vernier computer interface.
Connect the interface to the computer using the proper cable.
5. Start the Logger Pro program on your computer. Open the file “17
Colorimeter” from the Advanced Chemistry with Vernier folder.6.
6. Calibrate the Colorimeter.
a. Prepare a blank by filling an empty cuvette ¾ full with water – this is
your “blank.”
b. Wipe the smooth sides of cuvette with a KimWipe. ONLY touch the
ridged sides.
c. Place the “blank” in the cuvette slot of the Colorimeter and close
the lid. Make sure the cuvette is positioned so that the arrow
(light beam) goes through the smooth sides.
d. Set the wavelength on the Colorimeter to ______(to be determined
in class) nm using the arrows. Press the CAL button.
e. Remove the “blank.” Pour out the water. You will now use this
cuvette for the rest of your trials.
7. You are now ready to collect absorbance-concentration data for the
eight standard solutions.
a. Click
.
b. Using the solution in Test Tube E, fill THE SAME CUVETTE ¾ full of
solution E. Wipe the outside with a KimWipe, place it in the
Colorimeter, and close the lid.
c. When the absorbance readings stabilize, click
, type the
concentration in the edit box, and press the ENTER key. The data pair
should now be plotted on the graph.
d. Discard the cuvette contents in the sink.
e. Repeat steps a-d for all 4 test tubes, working from E (most dilute) to
A (most concentrated).
f. When you have finished testing solutions A-E, click
.
g. Copy the absorbance and concentration data onto your handout for
use in an Excel graph.
8. Fill THE SAME CUVETTE ¾ full of Gatorade. Determine the absorbance
value of the Gatorade solution by reading the absorbance value
displayed in the meter. You do NOT need to press collect or keep.
9. Clean up your lab station.
 Dispose of all solutions by pouring them down the drain.
 Shut down your computer.
 Rinse all test tubes with water and place them upside down in the
test tube rack to dry.
 Rinse the cuvette and leave it at your station to dry.
 Leave the Vernier box and Colorimeter at your station. Leave your
colorimeter lid OPEN.
 Throw away any used KimWipes in the trash.
DATA TABLE
Test Tube
Concentration (M)
A
0.000020 M
Absorbance
B
C
D
E
Gatorade
Unknown
REFERENCE INFORMATION
Dye
LD50
Molecular Formula
FD&C Blue 1
300. mg/kg
C37H34N2Na2O9S3
Important Lab Dates:
Date
Due in HW 1st
In Class Activity
 - Mon 3/10
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Practice making solutions
µ - Mon 3/10
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Learn about Colorimeter
α – Mon 3/10
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Examine Sample Beer’s Law Data
Toxins Lesson 14
β – Tues 3/11
 - Tues 3/11
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Complete sample Beer’s Law Problems
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Make solutions for lab
µ - Tues 3/11
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DRAFT DUE: Heading, Title, Background,
Purpose
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Take Beer’s Law Data
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Work on Lab Report
DRAFT DUE: Heading, Title, Background,
Purpose, Materials, Procedure, Data
Table
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Create graph of Absorbance vs.
Concentration in Excel
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Take absorbance data on Gatorade
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Read through sample analysis section
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Work on Lab Report
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Work on Lab Report
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Writing Workshops
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Quiz over Solutions
α – Wed 3/12
β – Wed 3/12
 - Wed 3/12
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µ - Wed 3/12
α – Thurs 3/13
β – Thurs 3/13
 - Thurs 3/13
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µ - Fri 3/14
α – Fri 3/14
DRAFT DUE: Heading, Title, Background,
Purpose, Materials, Procedure, Data
Table, Analysis, Connections to Purpose,
Sources of Error, Larger Context
β – Fri 3/14
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Have digital copy of lab available in class
 - Mon 3/17
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Have digital copy of lab available in class

Work on Lab Report
µ - Mon 3/17
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Have digital copy of roundtable reflection
available in class
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Work on Roundtable Reflection
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Writing Workshops
α – Mon 3/17
β – Thurs 3/20
 - Thurs 3/20
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Have digital copy of lab available in class
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Work on Lab Report
µ - Fri 3/21
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Have digital copy of roundtable reflection
available in class

Work on Roundtable Reflection
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Writing Workshops
α – Fri 3/21
β – Wed 3/12
 µ α β – FINAL DRAFT OF LAB DUE Friday, March 21*
 - Mon 3/24
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µ - Mon 3/24
α – Mon 3/24
β – Tues 3/25
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DRAFT DUE: Complete roundtable
reflection
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Work on Roundtable Reflection
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Writing Workshops
Have digital copy of roundtable reflection
available in class
 µ α β – FINAL DRAFT OF ROUNDTABLE REFLECTION DUE Wednesday, March 26*
*Late lab reports or reflections will be marked down 10% per day.
Lab Report Editing Checklist
Beer’s Law Lab
Formatting/Ideas
If the lab report you are reading has the component listed, please check the box. If not, please leave it blank.
Heading
 Single-spaced
 Includes Name
 Includes Date
 Includes Section (typed Greek letter!)
 Includes Class
 Right aligned
Title
 Centered
 Bold
Background
 Provides the reader with background information about the topics we have studied so that they can
understand the lab you are describing. Remember: this is a roundtable project so you want to make
sure a parent/guardian can understand the topic!
 Includes the following required words:
o LD50 (Toxins 7 & 12)
o Molarity (Toxins 13 & 14)
o Lethal dose (Toxins 7 &12)
o Beer’s Law
o Concentration (Toxins 13 & 14)
o Absorbance
Purpose
 One sentence
 Does not start with “To…”
 Does not include EXACTLY “To determine whether the amount of blue dye in Gatorade is toxic.”
HAVING THIS SENTENCE EXACTLY WILL CONSTITUTE PLAGIARISM AND EARN YOU A ZERO ON YOUR
LAB REPORT.
Materials
 Bulleted list
 Reflects the equipment used by the experimenter (is NOT copied from the lab handout)
Procedure
 Numbered list
 ALL steps are in the command form
 Reflects the work of the experimenter (is NOT copied from the lab handout)
Data
 All Absorbance values listed
 All Concentration values listed, with correct units
 Includes a graph of absorbance vs. concentration with labeled axes, a title, a trendline, and an R2 value.
Analysis
 CLAIM is stated about whether one bottle of Gatorade is safe or unsafe to drink for a 150 lb adult.
 EVIDENCE is presented to support the claim and includes:
o the absorbance value of Gatorade G2 Blue
o A calculation to determine the concentration of blue dye in Gatorade (mol/L)
o A calculation to determine the number of grams of blue due present in Gatorade
o A calculation to determine number of grams of blue dye that make a lethal dose for a 150 lb
adult.
 REASONING includes a comparison of how the mass of blue dye in a toxic dose is more than or less
than the mass of blue dye in a lethal dose.
Connections to Purpose
 Sentence 1: Purpose directly copied from Page 1
 Sentence 2: Purpose was met/not met
 2-4 sentences support conclusion
Sources of Error
 Contains a conclusion about why the trendline’s R2 value isn’t exactly 1.
Larger Context
 Explains how the lab relates to the real world
 3-5 sentences
Other Formatting
 Double spaced
 All chemical names are lowercase (sulfuric acid, not Sulfuric Acid)
 All chemical formulas have correct subscripts
 Headings are underlined
 Appropriate font (size 12) is used
 Pages are numbered
 Document has 1” margins
Convention Editing
Please read through your partner’s lab report again, this time checking for ONE of the 10 th grade Quarter 2
conventions listed below. Please CIRCLE the convention you choose to look for.
CONVENTIONS – GRADE 10, QUARTER 3
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Spelling & Basic Typos
Capitalization
Complete Sentences
Homophones
ERRORS/PAGE:
 Quotations
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Possessives
 Double-Negatives
POINTS SUBTRACTED:
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Commas – Series
Commas – Compound
Commas – Complex
Commas - Appositives
Chemistry
Lab Report Rubric
Name _______________________________
Date ________________
Section 
Lab: Beer’s Law
Ideas (85%)
Expectations
Score
Title
The title is descriptive and provides insight into the lab’s purpose.
_____ / 1
Background
1-2 paragraphs clearly explain what we are learning in class and how the lab is
relevant to that material. Student uses all required words.
_____ / 10
Purpose
The student clearly explains what we are trying to find out by doing this lab in a single,
complete sentence.
_____ / 2
Materials
All of the materials and equipment used are clearly listed using bullets.
_____ / 2
Procedure
The procedure is written in command form in a numbered list. The reader would be
able to follow the steps of the report without significant problems. The procedure also
reflects the work of the writer, not simply the procedure that was handed out in class.
_____ / 10
Data
Data is organized in a table format and includes absorbance and concentration. Also
includes a graph with the labeled title, axes, equation, and R 2 value.
_____ / 10
Analysis
CLAIM about whether 1 bottle of Gatorade is safe or unsafe to
drink for a 150 lb adult.
_____ / 3
EVIDENCE starts with the absorbance value of G2 Blue.
_____ / 2
EVIDENCE includes a correct calculation to determine the
concentration of blue dye in Gatorade (mol/L)
_____ / 5
EVIDENCE includes a correct calculation to determine the number
of grams of blue due present in Gatorade
_____ / 4
EVIDENCE includes a correct calculation to determine number of
grams of blue dye that make a lethal dose for a 150 lb adult.
REASONING includes a comparison of how the mass of blue dye in
a toxic dose is more than or less than the mass of blue dye in a
lethal dose.
_____ / 4
_____ / 30
_____ / 4
Connections to
Purpose
The purpose is restated and the student correctly states whether or not it was
supported by the data.
_____ / 5
Sources of Error
The student explains why the R2 value on the graph might not have been exactly 1.
_____ / 10
Larger Context
The student reconnects the experiment to what we are learning is class and
thoughtfully discusses how the lab could be valuable in real life.
HONORS: Student connects the lab to a scientific article about Beer’s Law
_____ / 5
Organization
(10%)
Expectations
Score
Format
All sections of the lab report are present and in order.
_____ / 3
Heading
The name, date, class, and section appear in the top right corner.
_____ / 2
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Document Features
The document has 1 in. margins
Font is Times New Roman size 12
All pages are numbered at the bottom of the page
All subsection headings are underlined
Paper is double-spaced.
_____ / 5
Style (5%)
Expectations
Score
Use of Scientific
Formatting
Student uses subscripts and superscripts when appropriate. Written chemical
names are not capitalized unless they start a sentence. Any drawings of
equipment or molecules are correct.
_____ / 5
Conventions
Expectations
Deductions
Grammar, Spelling, Etc.
TOTAL SCORE
Comments:
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An average of 0-2 errors per page = No points lost.
An average of 3-5 errors per page = 10 points lost.
An average of over 5 errors per page = 25 points lost. You will have two
days to revise this to earn 5 points back. If you do not revise, you will
receive a 0.
_____ / 100