A key
part of the practice of chemistry is the analysis of chemical
composition, including through gravimetric analysis and spectrophotometry.
However, the complexity of doing multiple calculations to obtain analytical
evidence, such as that required to determine an empirical formula,
presents a challenge if such analytical methods are to be understood
by students and if they support meaningful learning about other chemical
concepts and methods. In this study, we investigate student use of
spectrophotometry and gravimetric analysis to determine the number
of water molecules in hydrates of copper(II) salts, a method previously
described by Barlag and Nyasulu. Using phenomenography to analyze
students’ reports through the lens of meaningful learning,
we identified four distinct perceptions and, within them, information
on how students make sense of the complex analytical steps involved
in the experiment. We identify how meaningful learning is present
where students recognized that spectrophotometry was based on light–matter
interactions (cognitive), was faster and more accurate (psychomotor),
and allowed students to express confidence in the process and their
results (affective). However, it is also the case that meaningful
learning was compromised where students had trouble conceptualizing
spectrophotometry, saw it as a set of disconnected steps, and saw
absorbance as a computer-generated value and not a property of the
solution. This led to the perception that gravimetric analysis provided
a more direct and understandable technique. We discuss the implications
of these findings for chemistry education research (CER) and curriculum
development in the undergraduate teaching lab.