Ocean Optics Overture - Manual (Page 47)

Appendix A: Sample Experiments
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 Flasks, beakers and pipettes for preparation
Objectives:
Olive oils contain varying amounts of chlorophyll, depending on the grades: extra virgin, standard and
light. This experiment will show qualitatively how the grades compare and can be extended to compare
with chlorophyll extracted from green leaves with isopropanol.
Procedure:
1. For a reference spectrum, water can be used. There is a discussion point about what a reference
should be for an experiment with oils, since there is no solvent as such.
2. Take reference and dark readings and set Overture to Absorbance mode. If necessary, use numerical
zoom to cut of the noisy signal below 400 nm.
3. Visible absorbance peaks for chlorophyll are at: 413, 454, and 482 nm, 631 and 669 nm. See how
many you can detect .
Flame tests
Equipment Needed:
 Ocean Optics CCD array spectrometer with 400 micron fiber optic cable