1 / VOL. 2, NO. 1 ISSN 1430-4171 THE CHEMICAL EDUCATOR http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr © 1997 SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK, INC. 10.1007/s00897970108a Laboratories and Demonstrations Spectroscopic, Chromatographic and Visual Investigation of Organic Dyes DALE RUSSELL*, CURTIS OLSON, SUSAN SHADLE, AND MARTIN SCHIMPF Department of Chemistry Boise State University Boise, ID 83725 drussel@quartz.idbsu.edu This experiment provides… experience for students to learn about color and the interaction of dyes with electromagnetic radiation. n introductory level laboratory experiment is presented in which students learn about color using spectroscopy and chromatography. The pedagogical approach is discovery-based; students are given only enough background information to enable them to take good data. Commercially available dyes are dissolved in water to make concentrated stock solutions, which students then dilute to prepare solutions of primary, secondary and tertiary colors. The class works as a team to study colored solutions representing a range of concentrations and combinations of the three primary colors: cyan, yellow, and magenta. Students record transmission and absorption spectra and compare the results with human perception. They show the number of components in each solution by paper A