Atomic absorption spectroscopy

Atomic absorption spectroscopy determines an element’s concentration by measuring the characteristic light absorbed by free atoms in a sample.

Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy: An atomic absorption method that nebulizes a sample into a flame to produce free atoms. The flame converts dissolved analyte into atoms that absorb light along the optical path.
Atomic spectrum: The pattern of discrete wavelengths emitted or absorbed by atoms. Element-specific spectral lines make selective absorption measurements possible.
Trace analysis: The measurement of substances present at very low concentrations. Atomic absorption is widely used to quantify trace metals in complex samples.
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: An elemental analysis technique that ionizes samples in a plasma and separates ions by mass-to-charge ratio. It can measure multiple elements simultaneously, unlike conventional single-element absorption measurements.
Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy: An atomic absorption method that heats a small sample in an electrically heated graphite tube. Its staged heating produces measurable atoms from tiny sample volumes.
Atomic absorption: The absorption of light when an atom transitions from a lower to a higher energy state. The instrument measures this process at wavelengths characteristic of each element.
Water quality: The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water relevant to its uses and safety. The technique measures metals such as lead and copper in water samples.
Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry: An elemental analysis technique that identifies elements by light emitted from an excited plasma. It measures plasma emission rather than light absorbed by ground-state atoms.
Hollow-cathode lamp: A line-emission source whose cathode contains the element being measured. It supplies narrow spectral lines matched to the analyte’s atomic transitions.
Atomization: The conversion of a substance into free atoms, commonly by heat or chemical processes. Only free atoms in the optical path produce the atomic absorption signal.

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