Quantitative Analysis of a Glucose Solution - Essay Example

Quantitative Analysis of a Glucose Solution Concentration for Std is determined using spectrometer to measure absorbance. Rate of absorbance of different light wavelengths differs according to concentration of Std 1, thus giving a reading of the its concentrationDetermining the concentration of unknown solution by the line of best fit entails determining the standard curve. A standard curve is obtainable by making solutions with known concentrations of the substance under investigation then measuring their absorbance.

The known concentration is plotted on the y-axis against absorbance on the x-axis (Bongler, 2012). The coordinates (0.318, 0.2), (0.519, 0.4), and (0.755, 0.6) are plotted on a graph. The line of best fit cuts the absorbance of 0.250 at a point y. The y-reading of the point y gives the concentration of unknown solution. A line of best fit gives y=0.14. Thus the unknown concentration = 0.14mM. A straight line of best fit of the plotted points gives the standard curve upon which concentration of the substance in the solution is determined.

The Blank cuvette is a tiny test tube with a diameter of about 12mm and length of 100mm that holds solutions containing all experimental constituents except the substance under investigation. In this case, the Blank cuvette contains all the other components other than the substance with absorbance of 0.250. The Blank is a cocktail containing specific concentrations of buffer, ABTS/HRP stock and glucose oxidese stock (Bongler, 2012)Quantitative test of glucose is useful in monitoring level of diabetes.

Glucose is a major energy source for most body cells. Diabetes is manifested by hyperglycemia. Through quantitative test of glucose in the blood, health practitioners are able to determine the extent of inability of one’s body to produce insulin. Thus, quantitative tests of glucose helps nullify the chances of further diabetic complications.In constructing the standard curve, the line of best fit is used because it reflects the substance concentration-absorbance mean. It conveys the coordinates of the variables that best provide the approximate concentration of the substance under study.

In the experiment, a point (0.250, y) gives the solution of concentration of glucose, where y=unknown glucose concentration.If the unknown sample had a reading that was too high and went off the scale despite doing all the measurements and procedure correctly, it is imperative to consider the count of readings that have gone off-scale. If the number of unreasonable readings is few, the investigator assumes them in determining the line of best fit. If the number of such instances is a lot, the curve is broken and scales diminished to capture them in the determination of line of best fit.

Work CitedBongler, Michael. Chemistry of the Body: Quantitative Analysis of Glucose . New York: Apprentice Hall, 2012.