How does a spectrophotometer work?

http://ncbionetwork.org/spectrophotom...
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This short animation demonstrates the inner workings of a spectrophotometer.

Here's how a spectrophotometer works. A lamp provides the source of light. The beam of light strikes the diffraction grating, which works like a prism and separates the light into its component wavelengths. The grating is rotated so that only a specific wavelength of light reaches the exit slit. Then the light interacts with the sample. From this point, the detector measures the transmittance and absorbance of the sample. Transmittance refers to the amount of light that passes completely through the sample and strikes the detector. Absorbance is a measurement of light that is absorbed by the sample. The detector senses the light being transmitted through the sample and converts this information into a digital display.

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[Lelouch Lewis]

ty~~~

[Jaberising]

Thanks you've solved my homework ;)

[Kamalika Bhattacharyya]

look a sample absorbance is measured to find out the amount of product of a particular reaction (with a colour change off course)... and it is measured against a reagent blank.so , we get : optical density of coloured product = (sample tube optical density - blank optical density) and also a standard o.d is measured against a particular known amount of sample ... so , if we know that 1 ug of chemical X gives 0.523 o.d at say 450 nm of light then ??ug chemical X gives 0.023 o.d .. got it???

[Samuel Preston]

Thank you



[ActiveStorage]

oh everything makes sense now. thank you

[CChristyves]

That's because of reflectance :

Absorbance + Transmittance + Reflectance = Incident Intensity

[orangedac]

hmm.. beer

can you tell one material from another using a spectrophotometer. does it only work on targets on which there is transmittance

[orangedac]

that's what i was wondering.

what's the answer?

[Traskis Gi]

thank you, really simple, quick and easy to memorise info!!

[yasisalehi]

Thank you!