Spectrophotometer

A Spectrophotometer (/ˌspɛk.troʊ.fəˈtɒm.ɪ.tər/) is an instrument used in spectrophotometry, a method used to measure the light that a chemical substance absorbs. The spectrophotometer is widely used in different scientific fields such as physics, materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology.

Etymology

The term "Spectrophotometer" is derived from the Latin word spectrum meaning "appearance" or "apparition" and the Greek word metron meaning "measure".

Function

A spectrophotometer operates by passing a light beam through a sample to measure the light intensity of a given wavelength. It then compares this measurement to that of a standard or blank solution. This instrument is often used to determine the concentration of a known chemical compound in a solution.

Types

There are two main types of spectrophotometers: single-beam and double-beam. A single-beam spectrophotometer measures the relative light intensity of the beam before and after a test sample is inserted. On the other hand, a double-beam spectrophotometer compares the light intensity between two light paths, one path containing a reference sample and the other the test sample.

Related Terms

Absorbance: The measure of the quantity of light absorbed by a substance.
Transmittance: The measure of the fraction of incident light that passes through a sample.
Wavelength: The distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sound wave or electromagnetic wave.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Spectrophotometer
Wikipedia's article - Spectrophotometer

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Spectrophotometer