Lego blocks and caffeine make an interesting combo. In this simulation, you will learn that a couple of scientists actually used lego blocks to build the first version of the Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) machine. You’ll use the technique to measure caffeine levels in various beverages.

Explore the parts of the flow injection machine

Not every real-life lab has a FIA machine, and it’s definitely not everyday that you get to look inside one. So in this simulation, you’ll get to explore the different parts of the FIA machine in detail through a 3D animation that illustrates the main mechanisms of the machine. You’ll soon understand how the machine detects caffeine, and apply this knowledge to your experiments.

Optimize and perform the experiment

Before you carry out an experiment, you will have to optimize the FIA machine for use. You can alter different machine parameters, to help generate the most accurate results. Once you have optimized the machine and prepared samples, you are ready to perform your experiment! Lots of beverages are waiting to be tested.

Compute the caffeine concentration

When you have finished your experiment, you’ll want to present your results in the best way possible. After creating an absorbance graph, you’ll employ your stoichiometry knowledge to determine the caffeine concentration of each beverage.

Maybe coffee is not the best drink for getting up or staying awake after all… maybe it’s hot chocolate! Will you be able to find out which beverages will cure you from sleepiness?