Evaluation of Three Different Types of Spectroscopy Lab Report

Evaluation of Three Different Types of Spectroscopy - Lab Report Example The sample is then heated via flame, plasma or electricity; this causes desolvation, liquefaction, vaporization and finally atomization (Sagi & Rathnam, 2013). Components include; a) The light source which is usually a hollow cathode lamp. Atoms of different elements absorb specific wavelengths of light therefore in order to analyse a sample for a specific element, the light source used must correspond to the wavelength of that element. b) A compartment in which samples are atomised via (flame, graphite furnace, MHS cell, FIAS cell, FIMS cell). c) A monochromator that disperses the light. d) A detector, which measures the light intensity and amplifies the Signal. e) A display that shows the reading. AAS has various uses such as analysis of bodily fluids like blood and urine for heavy metal poisoning and monitoring of the environment by measuring levels of certain elements in lakes, food like fish and the air (Karabegov, 2011). Fluorescence is a photon emission process. Absorption of light by some molecules causes movement of electrons from the ground state to an excited state. This excited molecule will return to a lower energy level by dispersing part of its energy. It will then return to the ground state by emission of a photon (fluorescence). As a result of this loss of energy, stokes shift is observed. Stokes shift is when there is a difference in wavelength of the absorption and emission spectra (Ge, et al., 2010) Only molecules containing a functional group which has the ability to absorb energy of a certain wavelength and re-emit it at a different but specific wavelength (fluorophore) will exhibit fluorescence (Ge, et al., 2010) a) The light source, an example of the first type used is the tungsten-halogen lamp and later on, mercury lamps were used. However, now xenon lamps are mainly used. b) A Monochromator used to select both the excitation and emission wavelength. c) Sample holders, the cuvette is placed in