Spectroscopic Methods:

You would surely have seen a beautiful rainbow showing seven different colors during the rainy season. You know in which this colorful spectrum is because of the separation or dispersion of the white light within its constituent parts by the rain drops. The rainbow spectrum is only a minute element of a much larger continuum of the radiations which come from the sun. These are called electromagnetic radiations and the continuum of the electromagnetic radiations is called the electromagnetic spectrum. Within the first unit of this course you would learn about the electromagnetic radiation in terms of its nature, features and properties. Spectroscopy is a study of interaction of electromagnetic radiation along with matter. We would discuss the ways in which different types of electromagnetic radiation interact with matter and also the types of spectra that result as a consequence of the interaction.

In the next unit you would learn about ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy  a consequence of interaction of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet-visible range with the molecules constituting the matter.

Objectives

Further studying this unit, you should be able to:

• Define the wave nature of electromagnetic radiation,
• Describes the parameters that characterize wave form of electromagnetic radiation,
• Outline and elaborates the properties of the electromagnetic radiation that arise due to its wave nature,
• Define the quantised or particle nature of electromagnetic radiation,
• Describe the phenomena of absorption, emission and scattering of electromagnetic radiation, and
• Define the origin of line spectrum and band spectrum.