360Science™: Kinetics of Crystal Violet Fading

Students will use spectroscopy and graphical analysis to determine the rate law for the color-fading reaction of crystal violet with sodium hydroxide. Students will follow the change in absorbance of a mixture of crystal violet and sodium hydroxide, and will use a calibration curve provided by the instructor to determine the concentration of crystal violet as a function of reaction time. Then they will prepare a plot of crystal violet concentration versus time to determine the rate law of the reaction.