Spectrometer

A spectrometer measures properties of a spectrum, such as the intensity of light at different wavelengths. It separates or analyzes signals by their spectral components.

Diffraction grating: An optical element with regularly spaced grooves that diffracts light into different directions according to wavelength. Many spectrometers use its wavelength-dependent diffraction to spread light across a detector.
Mass spectrometry: An analytical technique that separates ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios. Mass spectrometers measure particle spectra rather than spectra of light.
Spectrum: A distribution of a signal's components, commonly displayed by frequency or wavelength. A spectrometer's central output is a measured spectrum.
Spectroscope: An instrument that separates light into its component wavelengths for visual or qualitative inspection. Unlike a measuring spectrometer, a spectroscope may display a spectrum without quantifying it.
Prism: A transparent optical element that refracts different wavelengths of light by different amounts. Prism spectrometers separate wavelengths through dispersion rather than diffraction.
Optical spectroscopy: The study of how matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation in the optical region. Optical spectrometers provide measurements used throughout this broader field.
Electromagnetic spectrum: The full range of electromagnetic radiation, ordered by frequency or wavelength. Optical spectrometers measure selected regions of this broader range.
Spectrophotometer: An instrument that measures how much light a sample absorbs or transmits across selected wavelengths. It is optimized for quantitative absorption or transmission measurements, often using spectral selection.
Photodetector: A device that converts incident light into an electrical signal. It turns the separated light reaching each position into measurable data.
Astronomical spectroscopy: The analysis of celestial objects through the wavelengths and features in their emitted or absorbed light. Telescopes feed spectrometers that reveal stars' compositions, motions, and conditions.

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