Measures the amount of light absorbed not emitted by atoms.

Is able to detect the presence of up to 70 elements at levels ranging from very low (parts per million-ppm) to the pure metal.

Used to: measure the concentration of Mercury in fish

magnesium in blood

detect excess or deficiency of metals in urine and blood

analysis of toxic metals in food and drink

determines the amount and type of metals present in soil

Atoms will absorb light if the energy of the light is able to promote an electron from its normal energy level to a higher energy level. A sample of the substance being analysed is sprayed into a flame and converted into an atomic vapour. This method relies on the ability of producing a vapour and of measuring the amount of light absorbed by the vapour.

A light beam containing light of a chosen wavelength is passed through the flame. Atoms of the element being analysed that are present in the flame absorb some of the radiation . The light beam is then passed through a filter (monochromater) which selects the wavelength of light to be used for analysis. The intensity of the light that is transmitted is then measured using a detector.

A readout is produced of the results. The light absorbed is an indication of the quantity of the element present in the original sample.

The spectrometer is calibrated for the element being analysed by injecting solutions of that element of known concentrations and recording the resulting absorbance values. A plot of absorbance vs concentration can be plotted.

Infrared Spectroscopy operates on the principle that the atoms making up a molecule vibrate only in particular ways characteristic of that group of atoms. Although the infrared region of the spectrum is not of high enough energy to excite electrons to states of higher energy the molecule can absorb some of the radiation through interactions with its vibrational and rotational motions. This provides information about the functional groups present (especially in organic compounds).

If the frequency of incident infrared radiation is the same as the vibrational frequency of a group of atoms in the molecule, that radiation can be absorbed. An absorption spectrum of the molecule is produced which serves as a fingerprint for the molecule.

Infrared spectroscopy reveals details of the molecular structure by measuring the frequencies and strengths of the various vibrations that the molecule can undergo.