Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. In simpler terms, spectroscopy is the precise study of color as generalized from visible light to all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.

History

Spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to include any interaction with radiative energy as a function of its wavelength or frequency. Spectroscopic data is often represented by an emission spectrum, a plot of the response of interest as a function of wavelength or frequency.

Types of Spectroscopy

There are many types of spectroscopy which can be classified based on the physical quantity that is measured or the type of radiation-matter interaction that is exploited. Some of the types include Absorption spectroscopy, Emission spectroscopy, Reflection spectroscopy, Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.

Applications

Spectroscopy is used in physical and analytical chemistry because atoms and molecules have unique spectra. As a result, these spectra can be used to detect, identify and quantify information about the atoms and molecules. Spectroscopy is also used in astronomy and remote sensing on earth.

See Also

• Atomic absorption spectroscopy
• Infrared spectroscopy
• Mass spectrometry
• Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
• Raman spectroscopy
• Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy

References

Spectroscopy Resources
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