Spectroscopy

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Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is the study of energy levels in atoms or molecules,

using absorbed or emitted electromagnetic radiation. There are many

categories of spectroscopy eg. Atomic and infrared spectroscopy, which

have numerous uses and are essential in the world of science. When

investigating spectroscopy four parameters have to be considered;

spectral range, spectral bandwidth, spectral sampling and

signal-to-noise ratio, as they describe the capability of a

spectrometer. In the world of spectroscopy there are many employment

and educational opportunities as the interest in spectroscopy and

related products is increasing. However Spectroscopy is not a recent

development, as it has been utilized for many years since Isaac Newton

made the first advances in 1666. Spectroscopy is the study of light as

a function of wavelength that has been emitted, reflected or scattered

from a solid, liquid, or gas.

Fundamentals of Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is the distribution of electromagnetic energy as a

function of wavelength. Spectrum is basically white light dispersed by

a prism to produce a rainbow of colours; the rainbow is the spectrum

of sunlight refracted through raindrops. All objects with temperatures

above absolute zero emit electromagnetic radiation by virtue of their

warmth alone; this radiation is emitted at increasingly shorter

wavelengths as temperature is increased. Individual atoms can emit and

absorb radiation only at particular wavelengths equal to the changes

between the energy levels in the atom. The spectrum of a given atom

therefore consists of a series of emission or absorption lines. Inner

atomic electrons g...

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...a sensitive multielement

inorganic analyses. Mass spectroscopy originated in 1919 by a British

scientist named Francis Aston when a machine was created for the

purpose for measuring the proportions and masses of the atomic species

in part of a sample. A mass spectrometer is an instrument that

measures the masses of individual molecules that have been converted

into ions e.g molecules that have been electrically charged. A Mass

Spectrum is a plot of ion intensity as a function of the ion's

mass-to-charge ratios.

Spectroscopy is a diverse and complex branch of science. It has many

uses and is widely acknowledged as an essential part of development in

the world of science.

A spectrum is an image or distribution of colour of any

electromagnetic radiation arranged in a progressive series according

to wavelength.

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