FSTDT Forums
Community => Science and Technology => Topic started by: MadCatTLX on July 07, 2014, 07:13:37 pm
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I was browsing the web as usual and I managed to run in to an open source spectrometer kit on Makershed.com, made by the company Public Lab, with the kit also available directly from them.
http://www.makershed.com/Desktop_Spectrometry_Kit_p/mkpbl04.htm (http://www.makershed.com/Desktop_Spectrometry_Kit_p/mkpbl04.htm)
http://store.publiclab.org/products/desktop-spectrometry-kit (http://store.publiclab.org/products/desktop-spectrometry-kit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOJxTxSmfNM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idg10MiceEI
What I want to know and can't find the answer to is if this can be used to find the what substances are in an unknown mixture. Like if I took a sample of unknown liquid, could it tell me it has water, oil, and whatever minerals in it? I know this isn't a gas chromatography mass spectrometer, which can do that, but the video says they were able to find that a laundry detergent contained a certain dye. Anyone here happen to have knowledge of sprectrometry and know the answers?
If it can do that, I'll totally buy one. I want to conduct experiments on "wood vinegar" or pyroligneous acid, as I can't find an actually list of it's constituents, and it's going to be a collected by product of my making charcoal to power an aluminum smelter. I need to know what's in it so I can find a use for it.
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...I forgot what a spectrometer was and thought that it was a device used to "find ghosts".
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...I forgot what a spectrometer was and thought that it was a device used to "find ghosts".
I can see how somebody could make that mistake. XD
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Bought one for my roommate last christmas. He loves the fuck out of it. He mostly uses it for his circuit boards and lasers.
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Bought one for my roommate last christmas. He loves the fuck out of it. He mostly uses it for his circuit boards and lasers.
Could you ask him about my question and see if he might know the answer?
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Bought one for my roommate last christmas. He loves the fuck out of it. He mostly uses it for his circuit boards and lasers.
Could you ask him about my question and see if he might know the answer?
Sure, I'll ask. No promises, but I'll ask.
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You'd need to know the spectrum of each constituent chemical in order to identify it in the test substance's spectrum. I don't know where you'd find a database of reference spectra, but if you did find one I bet it'd be for gases.