What are Spectrometers
Spectrometers are important for industrial and scientific experiments. The high-quality finished goods are tested by various advanced spectrometers.
A spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure spectral components of a physical phenomenon. It is often used to describe instruments that measure a continuous variable of a phenomenon where the spectral components are somehow mixed.
In terms of light, a spectrometer can separate white light and measure individual narrow bands of color, called a spectrum. A mass spectrometer measures the spectrum of the masses of the atoms or molecules present in a gas.
Spectrometers were developed in early studies of physics, astronomy, and chemistry. The capability of spectroscopy to determine chemical composition drove its advancement and continues to be one of its primary uses. Spectrometers are used in astronomy to analyze the chemical composition of stars and planets, and spectrometers gather data on the origin of the universe.
In a more general sense, a spectrometer is an instrument used for measuring wavelengths of light spectra. It can also refer to any of various analytical instruments in which an emission (as of particles or radiation) is dispersed according to some property (such as mass or energy) of the emission and the amount of dispersion is measured.
Differences of Spectrometer and Spectrograph
A spectrometer and a spectrograph are both instruments used to measure the properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, they differ in how they present the information.
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure the properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. It measures the spectrum of light, usually the intensity, but other variables like polarization can also be measured1. It can function over any range of light, but most operate in a particular region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
On the other hand, a spectrograph is an instrument that separates incoming light by its wavelength or frequency and records the resulting spectrum in some kind of multichannel detector, like a photographic plate. Essentially, a spectrograph is a machine for recording spectra and producing spectrograms. When both instruments deal with the analysis of light, a spectrometer measures the properties of light, and a spectrograph records or graphs the results.
Spectrometer Measurement
A spectrometer works by leveraging light’s wavelike properties to produce a spectrum and then measure the characteristics of the spectrum, i.e., wavelength, frequency, and intensity. This information is processed by a computer for correlation and display.
The spectrometer analyzes visible light — the small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that our eyes can perceive — by dispersing it into its component wavelengths. This enables scientists to examine the unique patterns and intensities of colors, unlocking valuable information about the composition and behavior of substances under investigation.
A spectrometer is typically used to measure wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (light) that have interacted with a sample. Incident light can be reflected off, absorbed by, or transmitted through a sample; the way the incident light changes during the interaction with the sample is characteristic of the sample.
For example, in optical emission spectrometers, a spark is applied through a high voltage on the surface which vaporizes particles into a plasma. The particles and ions then emit radiation that is measured by detectors (photomultiplier tubes) at different characteristic wavelengths.
In summary, a spectrometer works by analyzing the properties of light, such as its wavelength, frequency, and intensity, and uses this information to provide insights into the composition and behavior of various substances.