A spectrometer analyzes the spectrum of radiation.
Spectrometer is a concept that is formed with the noun spectrum and the compositional element ‒́meter . The term refers to the device that is used to analyze how the light emitted by a source is formed , according to what is indicated by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary.
It is important to mention that, in the field of physics , the mode of distribution of the intensity of radiation according to a certain magnitude is called spectrum (from the Latin spectrum ). The suffix ‒́meter , meanwhile, refers to a device used to measure.
What is a spectrometer
If we pay attention to the constituents of the notion, we can indicate that a spectrometer is an element that examines the spectrum of radiation . Specifically, it is usually linked to light radiation , although there are different types of spectrometers.
The optical spectrometer , often called simply a spectrometer, is responsible for measuring the properties of light in a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum . Typically, it measures the intensity (the magnitude reflected by the luminous flux emitted by a source in a certain direction determined per unit of solid angle), using the wavelength as the independent variable.
Difference with spectrophotometers and spectrographs
A spectrometer, in short, is used for the detection of spectra , in turn established by specific wavelengths. Sometimes this device is confused with the spectrophotometer , which measures color .
It is important to note that a spectrophotometer always contains a spectrometer. What the spectrophotometer does is measure how much light a substance absorbs according to a certain wavelength.
A spectrograph , on the other hand, is an electroscope that allows spectrograms to be obtained . It should be noted that electroscopes are devices used to generate and appreciate a spectrum, while a spectrogram consists of the graphic representation of the data contained in a spectrum.
The optical spectrometer studies light radiation.
The mass spectrometer
Another class of spectrometer is the mass spectrometer . This device usually measures the proportions of isotopes in a mixture; That is, it inspects the relativity of these isotopes and the chemical composition.
To fulfill its mission, the mass spectrometer examines the distribution of molecules as a function of molecular mass . Its use serves to establish the isotopic content of the elements that are part of a compound or to identify these various elements.
Typically, the mass spectrometer first ionizes the substance that is introduced inside it and then directs the ions to the instrument that is responsible for the measurement. A mechanism, in turn, separates the ions that are analyzed, recording the result graphically.
Identification of mixtures is one of the functions of a mass spectrometer. It is also used to study chemical reactions, which makes it possible to detect specific substances and discover contaminants. Its use occurs in the pharmaceutical industry, in the petrochemical industry and in the field of environmental studies, to mention a few possibilities.