ChemSolutions
Useful software for Schools, Science & ICT teachers

Datalogging

NB: this datalogging software uses Excel 2000 and has very specific hardware and software requirements. The requirements for each software item are listed at the end of the relevant section.

Titration (Free Software)

Contact Chemsolutions for a free copy of this software. I'm no longer supporting this software, so I can't justify charging anything for it. More details of this software may also be found in the Documentation section.

This is an application for Excel 2000 (or better) which datalogs both mass (which equates to volume of titrant) and pH during a pH titration and displays pH versus titre (i.e. a titration curve) on the PC in real time. It is much more effective than measuring pH against a 'steady' flow of titrant - a situation that is not easy to achieve. I used to use this with my A2 chemistry students.

Here are two screenshots of actual titration results. The first shows a strong acid/strong alkali:

The second is for a weak acid/strong alkali combination.

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Hardware and Software Requirements:

  • A balance having a serial interface - this constantly supplies its weighings to the PC
  • A pH meter having a serial interface - this constantly supplies its pH measurements to the PC
  • Appropriate serial leads for both the previous instruments. Standard serial cables from the computer shop may not be OK, check with the instrument manufacturer.
  • A PC having 2 serial ports (these days a lot of new PCs have only one serial port - you may have to add a serial port PCI card yourself)
  • An I/O ActiveX control from JS Payne (www.jspayne.com) which must be purchased and installed separately (fully functional free demo available from JS Payne). This ActiveX control allows my software (an Excel application) to read the data coming through the serial interfaces. The software then logs and graphically presents the mass and pH data as it is produced in real time using Excel.

Reaction Rate

Contact Chemsolutions for a free trial of this software (subject to terms and conditions).

This is an application for Excel 2000 (or better) which allows datalogging of fairly fast reactions involving significant mass loss (e.g. CaCO3 in hydrochloric acid - varying particle size or temperature). It datalogs mass loss and time and displays the mass loss on the PC during the experiment (allowing the class to make their own readings if desired). A graph of the mass loss against time is produced at the end of the experiment. Useful in Key Stages 3 or 4, wherever the concepts of reaction rate are explored.

Hardware and Software Requirements:

  • A balance having a serial interface - this constantly supplies its weighings to the PC
  • An appropriate serial lead for the balance. Standard serial cables from the computer shop may not be OK, check with the balance manufacturer.
  • A PC having 1 serial port (the usual number nowadays)
  • An I/O ActiveX control from JS Payne (www.jspayne.com) which must be purchased and installed separately (fully functional free demo available from JS Payne). This ActiveX control allows my software (an Excel application) to read the data coming through the serial interface. The software then logs and graphically presents the mass data as it is produced in real time using Excel.