RSC Spectroscopy in a suitcase

Activity: OtherTypes of Public engagement and outreach - Schools engagement

Description

The world needs more chemical scientists, and chemistry skills can lead our young people into a vast range of fulfilling careers. We help people see the part they can play in the future of the chemical sciences, and we improve chemistry education. Spectroscopy is the study of the way light (electromagnetic radiation) and matter interact. There are a number of different types of spectroscopic techniques and the basic principle shared by all is to shine a beam of a particular electromagnetic radiation on to a sample and observe how it responds to such a stimulus; allowing scientists to obtain information about the structure and properties of matter. We provide and operate Infra Red (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV) spectrometers. Each instrument looks at different physical properties of the chemical samples and therefore has different applications such as identification of functional groups for identification and quantifying the concentration of the samples. The Spectroscopy in a Suitcase scheme is an outreach activity which gives school students the chance to learn about spectroscopy through hands-on experience. As well as covering the principles of spectroscopic techniques, the activities use real-life contexts to demonstrate the applications of the techniques to the different areas of Chemistry.
Period3 Feb 2017
Event titleRSC: Spectroscopy in a suitcase
Event typeWorkshop

Keywords

  • Spectroscopy
  • Infrared
  • Uv-vis
  • Chemistry
  • Analytical chemistry