A spectrophotometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the intensity of light at various wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically in the visible and ultraviolet regions. It is commonly employed in various fields such as chemistry, physics, biology, and environmental science for a wide range of applications, including chemical analysis, color measurement, and concentration determination of substances in a solution.
Spectrophotometers operate by passing a beam of light through a sample and measuring the amount of light absorbed or transmitted by the sample at different wavelengths. They produce a graph or spectrum of the light intensity as a function of wavelength, which is called a absorption spectrum or transmittance spectrum. These spectra can provide valuable information about the chemical composition, concentration, and other properties of the substances being analyzed.
Spectrophotometers are widely used in analytical chemistry to quantitatively determine the concentration of a specific substance in a solution by measuring its absorption or transmission characteristics. They are also essential tools in fields like biology and biochemistry for studying molecules such as DNA, proteins, and pigments, where changes in the absorption spectrum can reveal important information about the structure and properties of these molecules.