Examination on the Fluorescence of Different Detergent Solutions

Through Comparison of Their UV Light Absorption

Dianne C. Corsino
1
, Christian Ed R. Uytico
1
, Gregorio F. Pornillos Jr.
2
and Jairone Ramirez
3*

1
Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering,
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
2
Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines,
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
3
Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippine,
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
*
Corresponding author: jairone.ramirez@yahoo.com

Abstract
This experiment involves the comparison of the whitening abilities of common
household detergents - namely Pride, Bonux, Tide, Ariel, Speed Babad, and
Champion. The examination on the whitening abilities of these detergents were
done through the comparison of their blue spectra as observed in the
spectrometer using UV light source. The results of the experiment show that
Tide has the widest range of blue color in the spectra produced in the
spectrometer. Hence, it can be concluded that Tide works best when it comes to
whitening clothes.

Keywords: spectra, spectrometer, fluorescence

1. Introduction
Atoms have their own mark or identifier which makes them unique. We call this characteristic of the atom as
its spectral fingerprint or its atomic fingerprint which is entirely based on the display of the colors they emit when
targeted with a specific light source. This pattern of lines only appears when light is passed through a prism, each
line having a different color from the other lines, and is then displayed to an appropriate medium
[1]
.
The theory behind this phenomenon lies with the concept of energy levels of the molecule. When the sample is
being charged by the light source, the species absorb some of its photons that make it excited. It can be further
explained using Niels Bohrs atomic model wherein the pattern of lines (spectral lines) formed is caused by
electrons jumping from higher energy levels to lower energy levels
[2]
. The energy released during the series of
jumping is the one responsible in producing the lines that are seen.
One application of spectral fingerprinting is fluorescence spectroscopy which analyses fluorescence from a
sample solid or a solution. Fluorescence naturally occurs when a beam of light, usually ultraviolet light, is used to
excite the electrons in molecules of certain samples and causes them to emit light, typically, visible light
[3]
.
For this experiment, the main objective is to determine what particular brand of detergent possesses the highest
quantity of whiteners (dye) using the fluorimetric analysis. It has been known that clothing detergents utilizes dye to
make clothes appear whiter and thus, cleaner. This dye has the ability to emit blue color when struck by an
ultraviolet light
[3]
. The quantity of the dye is then directly related to the amount of blue color spectra displayed in
the pattern produced. Hence, this can be used to quantify the amount of whiteners in a particular brand of detergent
and to determine which brand works best when it comes to whitening clothes.

2. Methodology
The first part of the experiment involved the alignment of the spectrometer. The telescope was focused at far
objects to bring it focus at approximately infinity. The telescope and the collimator were aligned directly opposite
each other. The collimator slit was opened to a small width and by peering through the telescope, the collimator
focusing knob was adjusted until the slit image appears sharp. A diffraction grating of grating constant 600lines per
millimetre was then inserted on the central platform with its ruled lines vertical and its face perpendicular to the
beam of light from the collimator. The UV light source was brought about one centimetre from the slit of the
collimator. The telescope was directed to the direct image. Angular readings from both windows of the circular main
scale on the spectrometer platform were then noted. The clockwise and counter-clockwise angular readings of the
first order UVB line were then measured.


Figure 1. Experimental Set-up
[3.4]

As the group obtained a nearly equal clockwise and counter-clockwise angular displacement, examination of
the different detergents proceeded. The detergents being compared in the experiment were Pride, Bonux, Tide,
Ariel, Speed Babad, and Champion. The detergent solutions were prepared by dissolving 1g of each brands powder
with 10mL of tap water in separate test tubes. With the UV light still on, each test tube filled with a specific
detergent solution was inserted between the UV light and the collimator slit. The colors and the angular
displacements produced by the detergent solutions were then tabulated.

3. Results and Discussion
The experiments aim is to determine which brand of detergent has the longer range of the blue spectra by
obtaining the wavelength difference from the start to the end of the blue spectrum this will clearly tell which
detergent contains the greatest amount of dye that would be the key to identifying which one works best when it
comes to whitening clothes. The spectrometer was aligned using the Ultraviolet light source. As observed from the
telescope, a line spectrum was produced containing the three parts of the UV spectrum UVA, UVB, and UVC.
However, UVB was the color used for the checking of the clockwise and counterclockwise angular displacements.
Table 1. Spectrometer Alignment

Direct Image Angle 1
st
UVB line Difference
CW CCW CW CCW CW CCW
359 181 344 194.5 15 13.5

Table 1 shows the direct image angle which is the angular reading when the telescope was directed to the
direct image. The line spectrum produced by the UV light was scanned to direct the telescope to the first order UVB
line. Also tabulated in Table 1 are the angular readings of the UVB line when the telescope was swept in clockwise
and counter clockwise direction. Angular displacements of 15 and 13.5 for the clockwise and counter clockwise
directions, respectively, were obtained.
As the spectrometer was aligned, the test tubes containing the solutions of the different detergents namely
Pride, Bonux, Tide, Ariel, Speed Babad, and Champion were then inserted between the UV light source and the
collimator. The spectra produced by these solutions were then examined and scanned in the spectrometer.

Table 2. Continuous Spectra of Different Detergent Solutions

Detergent Violet Violet Blue Blue Green Green
Counter clockwise Angular Readings
1. Pride 193.5 194.7 196 198
2. Bonux 193.5 195.5 197 198
3. Tide 194 194.5 196 197. 5
4. Ariel 194 195 196 199
5. Speed Babad 193.5 194.5 195.3 197.5
6. Champion 193.5 194.5 195.5 197

As the test tubes were inserted, continuous spectra were observed in the spectrometer. For all the detergent
solutions, three colors can be seen from their spectra violet, blue, and green. Since continuous spectra were
observed, the angular readings were measured as the telescope was directed to (1) where the violet color started to
spectrometer
UV Lamp

appear, (2) where the violet color disappears and the blue color appears, (3) where the blue color disappears and the
green color appears, and (4) where the green color disappears which constitutes to the end of the continuous spectra.
These four regions are visualized using Figure 2. Angular readings at these regions are tabulated in the second, third,
fourth, and fifth columns of Table 2, respectively.



(1) (2) (3) (4)
Figure 2. The general spectrum produced by detergent solutions contains only the colors violet, blue
and green. The regions 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the regions where angular readings were measured.

Table 3. Angular Displacements of the Different Colors in the Spectra of the Detergent Solutions

Detergent Violet Violet Blue Blue Green Green
Counter clockwise Angular Readings
1. Pride 12.5 13.7 15 17
2. Bonux 12.5 14. 5 16 17
3. Tide 13 13.5 15 16.5
4. Ariel 13 14 15 18
5. Speed Babad 12.5 13.5 14.3 16.5
6. Champion 12.5 13.5 14.5 16

Table 3 shows the counter clockwise angular displacements of the different colors observed in the spectrum of
each detergent solution. Since the spectrometer was already aligned, the data on the spectra produced by different
detergent solutions were only measured in the counter clockwise direction of the telescope. It is assumed that the
clockwise and counter clockwise angular displacements are the same.
The obtained angular displacements will then be used to calculate the wavelength of the observed colors using
the equation
=
d sin
m
(1)
where is the calculated wavelength, d is the separation between the slits which is equivalent to the inverse of the
grating constant, in this case is

mm since the grating constant used was 600 lines per millimetre, is the obtained
angular displacement of the color and m is the order of diffraction. Since the spectra being observed is in the first
order, the equation will be reduced to
= d sin (2)

Table 4. Calculated Wavelengths of the Different Colors in the Spectra of the Detergent Solutions

Detergent Violet Violet Blue Blue Green Green
Calculated Wavelength in nm (x10
-9
m)
1. Pride 360.733 394.73 431.365 487.286
2. Bonux 360.733 417.3 459.396 487.286
3. Tide 374.918 389.08 431.365 473.359
4. Ariel 374.918 403.2 431.365 515.028
5. Speed Babad 360.733 389.08 411.665 473.359
6. Champion 360.733 389.08 417.3 459.396

Table 4 tabulates the calculated wavelengths for the principal colors observed in the spectra of the detergent
solutions. These were calculated using Eq. (2). The values of used are the values tabulated in Table 3.
The main goal of the experiment is to compare the range of the blue color in the spectra of the different
solutions as observed from the spectrometer. Since Table 4 tabulates the calculated wavelengths of the different

colors in the spectra of the detergent solutions, the ranges of the violet, blue, and green colors can be calculated. By
knowing the difference in wavelength from the start of the spectrum, which corresponds to the violet color, to the
end of the violet color, the range of wavelengths possessed by violet part of the spectrum can also be deduced. That
is, a large wavelength difference corresponds to a wider range of the color in the spectrum of a specific detergent
solution.


(a) (b)


(c) (d)


(e) (f)
Figure 3. Comparison of the Spectra Produced by the Detergent Solutions

Figure 3 shows an illustration of the spectra produced by (a) Pride, (b) Bonux, (c) Tide, (d) Ariel, (e) Speed
Babad, and (f) Champion. Using the range of wavelengths calculated which are tabulated in Table 4, the spectrum of
the detergents are then made with the same scale to visualize more easily which one manifests a wider range of blue
spectrum.

Table 5. Wavelength Difference of the Different Colors in the Spectra of the Detergent Solutions

Detergent Violet Blue Green
Difference in wavelength in nm (x10
-9
m)
1. Pride 33.997 36.635 55.921
2. Bonux 56.567 42.096 27.89
3. Tide 14.162 42.285 41.994
4. Ariel 28.282 28.165 83.663
5. Speed Babad 28.347 22.585 61.694
6. Champion 28.347 28.22 42.096

Table 5 tabulates the difference in wavelength of the different colors in the spectra of each detergent solution.
The target color in this experiment is the blue color in the spectrum of a detergent solution. From Table 5, it can be
obtained that Tide has the largest difference in blue wavelength. It can also be seen from Table 4 that Tide is one of
the colors whose start of the blue spectrum has the smallest wavelength. In a continuous spectrum, lower blue
wavelength corresponds to a darker shade of blue. Thus, Tide is determined to be the detergent which produces the
widest blue color range in its continuous spectrum.
However, there are still many possible sources of error in the experiment. Errors may include parallax errors
which affect the angular readings and wrong judgement of the boundary between two colors in the spectrum which
results to either shortening or widening of the range of a color. Moreover, a major source of error in this experiment
would be the inconsistency in the amounts of detergent powder used. That is, the detergent with a higher powder
weight contains more dye. Thus, this would result to an increase in its range of blue spectrum.

4. Conclusion
Based on the results of the experiment, specifically, as tabulated in Table 5, it can be concluded that the
detergent with the widest blue spectra is Tide. From the results, it can also be deduced that from the six brands of

detergent being examined, Tide works best when it comes to whitening clothes based on the assumption that the
higher the amount of whiteners a detergent have, the higher its whitening capability.
It is recommended that for future experiment, a more accurate alignment of the spectrometer should be used to
avoid discrepancies or error. It is also recommended to use varying concentration of detergents to determine its
effect on the resulting spectra of the solution.

Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge our very supportive laboratory instructor, Ms. Jen-jen Manuel for assisting us
in the conduction of our experiment. We would also like to acknowledge the person and her work and also the
laboratory manual for giving us the idea regarding this experiment. And most of all, to our parents for their never
ending love and support.

References
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Diliman, Quezon City, 2007.
2. H. D. Young, R. A. Freedman, University Physics 12
th
Ed., Pearson Addison-Wesley, San Francisco,
California, 2008.
3. P. Elmer, An Introduction to Flourescence Spectroscopy, Perkin Elmer, Inc., United Kingdom, 2000
4. Abbot & Abbot, 2009. http://www.abbomedindia.com/spectrometer.htm (accessed March 17, 2013)
5. Mineralogical Research Co., UVP 2008 http://www.minresco.com/uvlamps/fraud.htm (UV lamp) (accessed
March 17, 2013)