The use of samples from students quotidian can get their attention for teaching contents to be presented. We have already presented a series of simple experiments demonstrating the use of flame atomic emission spectrometry in the determination of cations in samples present in our day life. Here sodium is determined in cachaça (sugar cane spirit), a very popular Brazilian drink, to demonstrate de effect of matrix composition and its physico-chemical properties in the volume of sample nebulized in a flame photometer and consequently in analytical signals by using different ethanol:water solvent mixtures for calibration.
Keywords:
atomic emission spectrometry; sodium; cachaça; instrumental analysis teaching; matrix effect
