Computer-based Spectrometers for an Accelerated Introductory Chemistry Laboratory

1994年，佛罗里达大学化学系建立了一个新的加速本科课程序列，称为Chemtrak，为30-50名高素质的新生提供增强课程。 这些学生通常进入两年或两年以上的高中化学和高度积极性和更先进的材料准备。 随着主要的仪器重点，Chemtrak的教学大纲已经发展成为一系列光谱测量，涉及原子和分子的发射，吸收和荧光。 主要仪器包括各种单色仪、光谱仪、激光器、燃烧器组件和光学元件。该项目旨在将基于计算机的光谱仪集成到Chemtrak实验室中。这个实验室的设计是改编自维克森林大学（NSF-DUE 9251294）的工作，在本科课程中使用基于计算机的光谱分析的模块化方法已被证明是成功的介绍光谱分析的实践和理论的本科生。在我们的适应这项工作中，五个紧凑的基于计算机的光谱仪与电荷耦合器件（CCD）检测器和笔记本电脑集成到Chemtrak实验课程。学生可以观察350-1000 nm的整个光谱区域，并获得大量数据，用于在家用计算机上进行后续评估。这些小型光谱仪增加的多功能性允许完成更多的实验，并进行更详细和复杂的测量。 这被发现大大增强了这门课程的教育影响。

In 1994 the University of Florida Department of Chemistry established a new accelerated undergraduate course sequence, called Chemtrak, to provide an enhanced curriculum for 30-50 high caliber entering freshmen students. These students typically enter with two or more years of high school chemistry and are highly motivated and prepared for more advanced material. With a major instrumental emphasis, the syllabus of Chemtrak has evolved into a series of spectroscopic measurements involving emission, absorption and fluorescence of atoms and molecules. Major instrumentation includes a variety of monochromators, spectrometers, lasers, burner assemblies, and optical components available in the department.This project addresses the integration of computer-based spectrometers into the Chemtrak laboratory. The design of this laboratory is adapted from the work at Wake Forest University (NSF-DUE 9251294) where the modular approach of using computer-based spectrometry in the undergraduate curriculum has been proven successful in introducing spectrometric practice and theory to undergraduate students. In our adaptation of this work, five compact computer-based spectrometers with charge coupled device (CCD) detectors and laptop computers are integrated into the Chemtrak experimental curriculum. Students can observe the entire spectral region from 350-1000 nm and acquire large amounts of data for subsequent evaluation on their home computers. The added versatility of these small spectrometers permits more experiments to be completed, and more detailed and sophisticated measurements to be performed. This is found to greatly enhance the educational impact of this course.