A brief history of the development of the empirical equation that is used by prominent, Internet-based programs to estimate (or calculate) the extinction coefficients of proteins is presented. In addition, an overview of a series of related assignments designed to help students understand the origin of the empirical equation is provided. The assignments culminate in a challenge whereby students were encouraged to develop a similar equation. The results of a student survey suggest that the assignments helped increase understanding of how the empirical equation was developed, in particular, and of the use of statistical methods (e.g., multiple linear regression, nonlinear least-squares fitting), in general. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)