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Spectroscopy

Orginally a spectrum was what was observed when white light was dispersed through a prism. Soon the term referred to a plot of light intensity as a function of frequency or wavelength. Planck later realized that frequency represents electromagnetic energy.

E = h ν

Today the term has been generalized even further to include any data that are the result of a study where an energy (or frequency) is systematically varied

The recording and studying of spectrum of energy levels in atoms or molecules in the physical sciences[?] is called spectroscopy. A device for recording a spectrum is a spectrometer or spectrophotometer. The latter term is used when an optical spectrum is recorded by the device.

Table of contents

Types of spectroscopy

Energy of photons

kinetic energy of electrons

kinetic energy of ions or molecules

vibrational energy

Other Topics

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