Theory of Spectroscopy

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the theory of spectroscopy, that is, the interaction of radiation with matter, which is the basis for many common instrumental techniques of analysis. In succeeding chapters, the various types of spectroscopic analysis and the instruments used in each are considered in more detail. A knowledge of how these instruments work is a prerequisite for their maximum utilization. When an instrument manufacturer sells a piece of equipment, that equipment is guaranteed to meet certain specification and performance levels. However, most instruments are capable of delivering far more than that, and if analysts understand how the equipment works and what it is supposed to do, they can usually extend its practical capabilities manyfold. It is also necessary to have an understanding of how an instrument operates in order to know whether the data obtained from it are correct.