Absorption spectroscopy

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/absorption-spectroscopy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the common spectral regions?Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis), Infrared (IR), and Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy are widely employed
2. How does light help scientists find out what something is?When light hits a sample, only certain colors are absorbed. Those colors make a fingerprint that scientists compare to known patterns to identify the substance.
3. Why did scientists first notice absorption lines in the Sun?In the 1800s, scientists saw dark lines in the Sun’s light. They later learned those lines mean the Sun’s light is being absorbed by elements in its atmosphere.

Electromagnetic Spectrum: The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, ordered by frequency or wavelength.
Wavelength: The distance between successive crests of a wave, often measured in nanometers or micrometers.
Frequency: The number of waves that pass a point in one second, measured in Hertz (Hz).