HL Chemistry - Option A: Modern Analytical Chemistry: Atomic Absorption Spectros

HL Chemistry - Option A:
Modern Analytical Chemistry
ATOMIC ABSORPTION
SPECTROSCOPY
A.6.1 State the use of Atomic Absorption (AA)
spectroscopy.
 Atomic absorption spectroscopy is a quantitative
method of analysis that is applicable to many metals
and a few nonmetals.
 A few examples include:
Al in blood serum
Ca in blood serum, plants, soil, water
Cu in alloys
Cr in sea water
Fe in plants
 Only a drop of sample needed
 The metals need not be removed from other
components (AA is a highly selective technique)
 Sensitive in the ppm range (even ppb with the right
equipment)
A.6.2 Describe the principles of AA.
 When metals are exposed to heat, they absorb

light.
 Each metal absorbs light at a characteristic
frequency. For example:
Metal Zn Fe Cu Ca Na
λ (nm) 214 248 325 423 589
A.6.2 Describe the principles of AA.
 The metal vapor

absorbs energy from
an external light
source, and electrons
jump from the ground
to the excited states
 The ratio of the
transmitted to incident
light energy is directly
proportional to the
concentration of
A.6.3 Describe the use of each of the following components of the AA
spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light source, monochromatic
detector, read out.
• A block diagram of the AA spectrometer appears

below.
• The IB does not require the inclusion of the
photomultiplier tube (PMT), but it none the less
is an important part of the instrumentation.
Overview of AA Sample
spectrometer. Compartment
Light Source Detector

spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light source,
monochromatic detector, read out.
 The source of light is a lamp whose cathode is

composed of the element being measured.
 Each analyzed element requires a different lamp.
 For example, a hollow cathode lamp for
 Aluminum (Al) is shown below
• The cathode lamps are

stored in a compartment
inside the AA spectrometer.
The specific lamp needed
for a given metal analysis is
rotated into position for a
specific experiment.
 The sample is made up, typically in water

 A flame is created, usually using ethyne &
oxygen (fuel)
 The flame gases flowing into the burner create a
suction that pulls the liquid into the small tube
from the sample container. This liquid is
transferred to the flame where the sample is
atomized [mixing the sample with air to create
fine droplets]. The metal atoms then absorb
light from the source (cathode lamp).
Light beam
Sample is
vaporized
in the flame.
Aspirator
tube sucks the
sample into the
flame in the
sample
compartment.
A.6.3 Describe the use of each of the following components of
the AA spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light
source, monochromatic detector, read out.
 The light passes through a monochromater (a

device used to select a particular wavelength of
light for observation)
 The intensity of the light is fairly low, so a
photomultiplier tube (PMT) is used to boost the
signal intensity
 A detector (a special type of transducer) is used
to generate voltage from the impingement of
electrons generated by the photomultiplier tube
the AA spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light
A typical photomultiplier tube

the AA spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light source,
 The read out specified by

the user is displayed on
the computer screen for
each sample measured.
A.6.3 Describe the use of each of the following components
of the AA spectrometer: fuel, atomizer, monochromatic light
The resulting
data can be
presented in
a variety of
ways, but
typically a
print out is
made.
A.6.4 Determine the concentration of a solution from a
calibration curve.
 AA can be used to identify the presence of an

element (qualitative analysis), or the
concentration of a metal (quantitative analysis)
 Quantitative analysis can be achieved by
measuring the absorbance of a series of
solutions of known concentration.
 A calibration curve and the equation for the line
can be used to determine an unknown
concentration based on its absorbance.
A.6.4 Determine the concentration of a solution from a
calibration curve.
Sample Problem: pg. 312, #3
Lead is extracted from a sample of blood and analyzed at 283 nm and gave an
absorbance of 0.340 in an AA spectrometer. Using the data provided, graph a
calibration curve and find the concentration of lead ions in the blood sample.
[Pb+2] (ppm) Absorbance Calculated Pb (II) concentraions (ppm) Absorbance
0.000 0.000 0.357 0.340
• The data provided in
0.100
0.200
0.116
0.216 the problem appears
0.300
0.400
0.310
0.425 in the upper left hand
0.500 0.520
corner of this MS
Lead (II) Calibration Curve
EXCEL worksheet.
• The graph was used
0.600
to calculate the best
0.500
y = 1.0505x
fit line.
2
0.400
R = 0.9988 • The equation was
Absorbance
then used to
0.300
calculate the
0.200 concentration of Pb
(II) ions with an
0.100
absorbance of 0.340.
0.000 • The result, 0.357
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600
[Pb+2] (ppm)
ppm, is displayed
above the graph.

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HL Chemistry - Option A:

Modern Analytical Chemistry

 When metals are exposed to heat, they absorb

 The metal vapor

• A block diagram of the AA spectrometer appears

Light Source Detector

 The source of light is a lamp whose cathode is

• The cathode lamps are

 The sample is made up, typically in water

 The light passes through a monochromater (a

A typical photomultiplier tube

 The read out specified by

 AA can be used to identify the presence of an

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