Back in seventh grade I was introduced to the Spectronic 20, or “Spec 20” for short. For those readers that are unfamiliar, it is essentially a tan breadbox with two dials, an analog meter, a dial to determine the wavelength transmitted, and a chamber for introducing a sample in a test tube. The device was originally made by Bausch & Lomb back in 1954, and even modern iterations reflect the basic, industrial, sturdy simplicity of the original model. Back in 1980 we were given the charge to determine which wavelengths chlorophyll absorbed best. I don’t remember how we purified our sample, I just know that I.
