What’s In Our Stars?
The SparkFun Spectral Triad Sensor (AS7265x) detects the intensity of light at 18 specific wavelength channels. The intensity detected by the sensor is the amount of light energy either reflected off of a solid object or transmitted through a liquid object.Copyright Christina Abbott 2023
In this activity, students model how scientists must rely on and collaborate with engineers in order to make new scientific discoveries, such as a new star-planet system if “Earth were no longer an option.” Building off the ideas students previously established about what makes Earth and the sun ideal for sustaining life, students begin the engineering design process by brainstorming ideas for how they can determine what something is made of and what tools that would require. Students are then challenged to think whether their method would still work if that “something” is too far away (or deadly) to bring into a lab! After re-evaluating the problem, students are introduced to the basic principles of spectroscopy. By building their own spectrometers using a computer, Arduino, and a SparkFun Spectroscopy Sensor, students are able work through the fundamentals of spectroscopy in a hands-on experience. This activity has students use spectrometry data that they obtained to differentiate among common lab substances, and then identify an unknown substance. They gain practice using technology, interpreting graphs, creating emission spectra diagrams, and forming scientific arguments. Afterward, students apply what they have learned to determine the element composition of stars located in our galaxy and predict which stars have potential for sustaining life.
Scientists ask questions, experiment, and make discoveries. But to do so, they need specific tools. Thus, “Engineering Tools for Scientific Discovery” is one of the 14 Grand Challenges presented by the National Academy of Engineering. In this activity, students act as scientists and as engineers, demonstrating how each depends on the other. As engineers, students think about how to determine the composition of an item, brainstorm what tools could be used, evaluate whether those tools work for an item that is far away (i.e., a star), and build a spectrometer. Then, as scientists, they use the spectrometer to observe absorption spectra for various materials, and then identify an unknown substance.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Justify why collaboration between scientists and engineers is essential in designing specific tools for scientific discovery.
- Utilize a simple spectrometer to gather emission spectra data.
- Describe that atoms of each element emit and absorb unique patterns of frequencies (wavelengths) of light that allow us to identify them.
Note: This activity does not focus on HOW atoms absorb and emit light energy, only that they do.
- Interpret and analyze emission/absorption spectra data to determine the elemental composition of an item.
Note: This includes data captured in the lab setting and provided data such as star spectral diagrams.