Low-cost Spectrometer for Icelandic Chemistry Education

Abstract

Spectrometers are common analytical instruments in Chemistry. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy is the most commonly applied instrumental analysis technique being used at universities in the United States for the last three decades. Due to the popularity of spectroscopy and reduced budgets for undergraduate laboratories, there is great interest in low-cost, Do-It-Yourself spectrophotometers. This paper presents an implementation devised with axiomatic design principles for an affordable (sub $1000) spectrometer. This design can be fabricated in a local Fab Lab using common off the shelf components and material to serve as a rigorous, analytical and teaching tool with a lifespan of at least 5 years. Due to a flaw in the concept of the optical path of the device, consistent measurements on absorption spectra could not be made comparable to a commercial equivalent. Even with this limitation, the device is still capable of serving its original purpose by measuring light source spectra and absorption of a selected wavelength to demonstrate Beer's law.