Spectroscopy

Question 1

What is a Spectrum?

Answer 1

A plot of energy vs absorption, transmission or emission.

Question 2

What experiment did Isaac Newton do?

Answer 2

Isaac Newton carried out an experiment: he made a hole in the wall of his office room, and let in a beam of sunlight, refracted it through a prism and then outcomes, not just a single beam, but a whole spreading out range of beams of different colours.

Question 3

What Is Electromagnetic Radiation?

Answer 3

Simple harmonic waves of interconnected, perpendicular electric and magnetic fields.

Question 4

Wavelength definition, symbol and units

Answer 4

Wavelength, λ , distance between successive waves (distance from peak to peak)
units: m

Question 5

Frequency definition, symbol and units

Answer 5

Frequency, 𝝂 , number of waves per second:

Units: s-1 (Hz)

Question 6

Wavenumber definition, symbol and units

Answer 6

Wavenumber, 𝝂 ̅ = 1/λ, number of waves per metre:

Units: m-1 (cm-1)

Question 7

Velocity - speed of light value, symbol and units

Answer 7

Velocity, c = 𝝂 × λ , 2.997 x 108 m s-1 ~ 3 x 108 m s-1
Units: m s-1