Finding amount of iron from absorbance

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    Absorbance Iron
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the amount of iron present in a vitamin tablet using absorbance measurements and a calibration curve. Participants explore the calculations involved in accounting for multiple dilutions and conversions from ppm to molarity.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant reports a concentration of iron at 3.20 ppm and outlines a series of dilutions performed on the vitamin solution, leading to a calculated amount of iron.
  • Another participant converts 3.20 ppm to 320 mg/L and then to molarity, questioning the accuracy of the initial calculations.
  • A third participant suggests that 3.20 ppm should be interpreted as 3.20 mg/L, correcting the unit conversion and recalculating the amount of iron to 64 mg, which they find more plausible.
  • A fourth participant agrees with the 64 mg result but expresses uncertainty about the accuracy of their calculations, suggesting that the agreement among participants lends some credibility to the figure.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the correct interpretation of the ppm value and the subsequent calculations. While there is some agreement on the final amount of iron being around 64 mg, the methods and assumptions leading to that conclusion are contested.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved issues regarding unit conversions and the accuracy of calculations, particularly concerning the interpretation of ppm and the effects of multiple dilutions on the final result.

Puchinita5
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So I had a lab where we are supposed to determine the amount of iron present in a vitamin.

I have a calibration curve already constructed, and it is telling me that the concentration of the iron is about 3.20 ppm.

The vitamin was boiled with acid, filtered, and diluted to 100mL.
Then, 5mL of this solution was diluted to 100mL.
Then, 10mL of this already diluted solution was diluted to 100mL (after being mixed with hyroquinone and o-phenanthroline to create a red complex)

So my question is, how to figure out how much iron was present with all these dilutions.

My guess is to say that

3.20 ppm *(1g/10^6 micro g) * (1000 mL/ L) *(1 mol Fe / 55.8 g Fe) = 5.7 x 10^-5 M (molarity)

and then

5.7 x 10^-5 M * (100 mL / 10 mL) * (100 mL / 5mL) * 100mL = 1.15 mol Fe = 64 g of Fe.

But to me this seems like a lot of iron to be present in one tiny tablet.

What am I doing wrong? Or is this right?
 
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3.20 ppm of Fe3+ = 320mg/L Fe3+ = 0.320g/L Fe3+ (divide by molar mass)

(0.320g/L)/(55.84g/mol) = 0.0057 mol/L -------> 5.7 * 10^-3 Molar Fe3+ ...(are you doing your math correctly?)
 
I think 3.20 ppm is = to 3.20 mg/L not 320 mg/L .

I did notice that in my second step, I was multiplying by 100 mL instead of .1 L so the units were off. So I think it should be

5.7 x 10^-5 M * (100 mL / 10 mL) * (100 mL / 5mL) * (.100 L) = .001146 mol Fe = 64 mg of Fe.

I think this sounds more reasonable? And I just tried googling it and I found a vitamin on the market that has 65 mg of iron in it (and looks like the pill I used in the experiment). So I'm thinking that maybe this is correct.
 
I got 64 mg as well, but as I didn't bothered to use paper/calculator I could make some mistake. But it is unlikely that we both made the same mistake - so 64 mg looks quite probable.
 

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