A spectrometer (/ spɛkˈtrɒmɪtər /) is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure spectral components of a physical phenomenon. Figure 1: Components of a spectrophotometer: Light emitted from the source. Internal structure of a grating spectrometer: Light comes from left side and diffracts on the upper middle reflective grating. It has a light source, sample holder and detector. By detecting the intensity of light before and after it passes through a solution, it can determine the concentration of a substance — making it one of the most widely used. Spectrometer detectors consist of a row of light sensitive pixels, each of which corresponds to a particular wavelength. Each pixel will generate an electrical signal of intensity proportional to how much light falls on it. Charged-coupled devices (CCDs) are the detector of choice for spectrometers. Spectroscopy is the technique of splitting light that consists of various wavelengths into components that correspond to those wavelengths. Prisms and diffraction gratings are typical dispersive elements.
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