Spectrometer

A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure light properties over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, normally used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. Spectrometers are analytical instruments which disperse an emission such as particles or radiation, in order to measure the amount of dispersion. This product includes infrared, ultraviolet, atomic absorption, optical emission, X- ray fluorescence and mass spectrometers. Performance specifications for spectrometers include: spectral range, spectral resolution, mass range, mass resolution and mass accuracy.

A spectrometer is used in spectroscopy for producing spectral lines and measuring their wavelengths and intensities. Spectrometer is a term that is applied to instruments that operate over a wide range of wavelengths, from gamma rays to the far infrared. Another instrument which slightly differs from spectrometer is the spectrophotometer, designed specially to measure the spectrum in absolute units rather than relative units. The majority of spectrophotometers are used in spectral regions near the visible spectrum.

Types of Spectrometers

Spectrometer can be classified under many possible variations and modifications that can specialize or extent the usefulness of an instrument. Some of the types are matter and energy spectrometer, Ultraviolet spectrometers, infrared spectrometers, atomic spectrometers and mass spectrometers.

Spectroscopes

The spectroscope was invented by Joseph von Fraunhofer. Spectroscopes are often used in branches relating to astronomy and chemistry. The early spectroscopes slightly differed from the modern version with a simple prism with graduations marking wavelengths of light. The modern spectroscope uses a diffraction grating, a movable slit and some kind of photodetector, completely automated and controlled by a computer.

The more accurate spectrograph was created with the development of photographic film. It was based on the same principle as the spectroscope, but it had a camera replacing a viewing tube. In recent years the electronic circuits built around the photomultiplier tube have replaced the camera, allowing real- time spectrographic analysis with far greater accuracy. Such spectral analysis has become an important scientific tool for analyzing the composition of unknown material and for studying astronomical phenomena and theories.

Spectrographs

A spectrograph is an instrument that separates an incoming wave into a frequency spectrum. The first spectrographs used photographic paper as the detector. The star spectral classification and discovery of the main sequence, Hubble’s Law and the sequence were all developed with spectrographs that used photographic paper.

Mass Spectrometer

The mass spectrometer is an instrument which can measure the masses and relative concentrations of atoms and molecules by making use of the basic magnetic on a moving charged particle.

Questions:

• What is a Spectrometer?
• What are Spectroscopes?