Breathalyzer alcohol test

The police often use a device called a breathalyzer to test drivers suspected of being drunk. The chemical basis of this device is a redox reaction. A sample of the driver s breath is drawn into the breathalyzer, where it is treated with an acidic solution of potassium dichromate. The alcohol (ethanol) in the breath is converted to acetic acid as shown in the following equation ... 

The following redox reaction is used in acidic solution in the Breathalyzer test to determine the level of alcohol in the blood ... 

The reaction of alcohol with orange dichromate ions to produce blue-green chromium(III) ions is used in the Breathalyzer test, a test that measures the presence of alcohol in a person s breath. How could a colorimeter be used in this analysis ... 

The police may pull over a driver weaving erratically on the highway on suspicion of drunk driving. A police officer must confirm this suspicion by assessing whether the driver has a blood alcohol concentration over the "legal limit." The "Breathalyzer" test checks a person s breath using a redox reaction to determine blood alcohol concentration. This test was invented in 1953 by Robert Borkenstein, a former member of the Indiana State Police, and a professor of forensic studies. 

In the Breathalyzer test, the subject blows into a tube connected to a vial. The exhaled air collects in the vial, which already contains a mixture of sulfuric acid, potassium dichromate, water, and the catalyst silver nitrate. The alcohol reacts with the dichromate ion in the following redox reaction. 

When suspected drunk drivers are tested with a Breathalyzer, the alcohol (ethanol) in the exhaled breath is oxidized to acetic acid with an acidic solution of potassium dichromate ... 

One type of breathalyzer detects whether ethanol is in the breath of a person. Ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by dichromate ions in acidic solution. The dichromate ion in solution is orange, while the Cr + aqueous ion is green. The appearance of a green color in the breathalyzer test shows that the breath exceeds the legal limit of alcohol. The equation is... 

As already stated, the source of biological material is also important either due to its accessibility (i.e., noninvasive nature) or due to the fact that the analytes to be measured are restricted to certain locations. Biomarkers can be detected in all biological entities (i.e., fluids, gases, and tissues), and depending on what is to be measured each biological source has a specific niche. For example the fact that alcohol is excreted in the lung, combined with the convenience of using exhaled air, has been exploited for many years in the breathalyzer test as an indirect measurement of blood alcohol levels [5 ]. Stool is commonly used for the detection of parasites and infections. Tears have been proposed to detect and treat ocular toxicity [6], Urine has also been used extensively to measure both renal and non-renal injuries. However, for the most part, blood (serum or plasma) and urine are the most utilized sources. 

Organic alcohols react with orange dichromate ions, producing blue-green chromium(lll) ions. This reaction is used in a Breathalyzer test to test for the presence of alcohol in a person s breath. In this MiniLab, you win use this reaction to test for the presence of alcohol in a number of household hygiene, cosmetic, and cleaning products. 

The Human Perspective Alcohol Consumption and the Breathalyzer Test (Chapter 13), describes the reaction between the dichromate ion and ethanol to produce acetic acid. How much acetic acid can be produced from a mixture containing excess of dichromate ion and 1.00 X 10 g of ethanol ... 

You analyze a breathalyzer test in which 4.2 mg K2Cr207 was reduced. Assuming the volume of the breath was 0.500 L at 30.°C and 750. mm Hg, what was the mole percent alcohol of the breath ... 

A chemical breathalyzer test works because ethyl alcohol in the breath is oxidized by the dichromate ion (orange) to form acetic acid and chromium(III) ion (green). The balanced reaction is... 

A driver being tested for blood alcohol content with a handheld breathalyzer. 

Not only will this test distinguish primary and secondary alcohols from tertiary alcohols, it will distinguish primary and secondary alcohols from most other compounds except aldehydes. This color change, associated with the reduction of Cr207 to Cr , is also the basis for Breathalyzer tubes, used to detect intoxicated motorists. In the Breathalyzer the dichromate salt is coated on granules of silica gel. 

A Breathalyzer test is used to determine blood alcohol level. 

Laboratory certification by SAMHSA only applies to testing for these drugs. The DOT has added alcohol and protocols for performing breathalyzers have since been adopted. Non-regulated private employers have the option to test for other drugs, but the tests may be more vulnerable to challenge. 

A Breathalyzer instrument contains two ampules, each of which contains 0.75 mg K2Cr207 dissolved in 3 mL of 9 M H2S04(aq). One of the ampules is used as reference. When a person exhales into the tube of the Breathalyzer, the breath is directed into one of the ampules, and ethyl alcohol in the breath converts Cr207 into Cr. The instrument compares the colors of the solutions in the two ampules to determine the breath alcohol content (BrAC), and then converts this into an estimate of BAC. The conversion of BrAC into BAC rests on the assumption that 2100 mL of air exhaled from the lungs contains the same amount of alcohol as 1 mL of blood. With the theory and assumptions described in this problem, calculate the molarity of K2Cr207 in the ampules before and after a breath test in which a person with a BAC of 0.05% exhales 0.500 L of his breath into a Breathalyzer instrument. 

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