Here's a list of things to do with your spectrometer, whether you're a teacher, a hobbyist, or a grassroots scientist. Also see Spectral Analysis Techniques for an overview of different kinds of spectrometry.

Please add your own, and include how much time it'll take, an estimate of the cost, etc.

Activities

Measure sodium lines

15-20 minutes, 1 bunsen or propane burner

Read more at: http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/spectrometry-activity-sodium-lines

Calibrate your spectrometer with a CFL bulb

5-10 minutes, a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and optionally a green laser pointer

(Base this one on http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/spectral-workbench-calibration but include more explanation etc)

Check your calibration with a green laser, which should show up as 532 nanometers.

Read more at: http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/spectrometry-activity-calibration

Measure an atmospheric absorption spectrum

5-15 minutes, the sky

Find the Frauenhofer lines:

https://spectralworkbench.org/tag/sunlight https://spectralworkbench.org/spectra/show/913 (especially good!)

Try different directions in the sky, towards and away from the sun. Where did you point your spectrometer to get the clearest absorption lines? Any idea why? Post a research note with your data and describe what you did.

Read more at: http://publiclaboratory.org/wiki/spectrometry-activity-atmospheric-absorption

-- add more activities here --