Question

Explain why it is important to avoid touching the clear sides of the cuvettes you use during this experiment. Think about what your fingerprints will do to the light being applied to the sample!

A) Fingerprints cause contamination
B) Fingerprints block light transmission
C) Fingerprints alter chemical reactions
D) Fingerprints create a slippery surface

Answer 1

Fingerprints on cuvettes block light transmission, leading to inaccurate measurements in spectrophotometer experiments.

Step-by-step explanation:

It is important to avoid touching the clear sides of the cuvettes during an experiment because fingerprints block light transmission. When a cuvette is placed in a spectrophotometer, the instrument measures how much light passes through the sample by detecting the light intensity before and after it travels through the cuvette. Fingerprints contain oils and other substances that can scatter or absorb some of the light, leading to inaccurate measurements. This scenario does not typically involve fingerprints causing contamination, altering chemical reactions, or creating a slippery surface, but primarily affects the optical properties required for precise experimental readings.