Simultaneous Determination of Cu and Ni in Drinking Water Using a Homemade Device Based on an Internet-Controlled Smartphone Camera

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 23 (2018) pp 165-168

Simultaneous Determination of Cu and Ni in Drinking Water Using a Homemade Device Based on an Internet-Controlled Smartphone Camera

Armando Carrasquero-Durán*^,† and Beatriz Navas Hernández^‡

^†Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador, Departamento de Química Ave. Las Delicias, Maracay, Venezuela, acarrasquerod@gmail.com;^‡Universidad Central de Venezuela, Facultad de Agronomía, Maracay, Venezuela
Received April 30, 2018. Accepted June 25, 2018.

Published: 12 August 2018

Abstract. A simple protocol for the resolution of a Cu²⁺and Ni²⁺ mixture in drinking water is proposed as a laboratory work to teach the digital colorimetric applications in analytical chemistry. The didactic strategy followed in this exercise starts with a clearly defined problem and the students have to learn the chemical principles involved. After, they design the necessary devices to acquire digital images for further treatment with adequate software, in order to obtain the RGB values needed to calculate the absorbance values. Once reliable experimental data is obtained regression equations for single ions were calculated and the absorbance additivity was checked. These equations were employed to determine simultaneously the concentrations of Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ in real water samples provided by the instructor.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; smartphone; digital; colorimetry; simultaneous determination; RGB; Internet.

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: t acarrasquerod@gmail.com )

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