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The atomic absorption spectrometer is an instrument used by students
taking laboratory courses in quantitative analysis, instrumental analysis
and sometimes general chemistry. This instrument is used to measure
small concentrations of analytes, typically metals such as nickel,
lead, copper, chromium, zinc, and cadmium. These metals can be found
in environmental samples such as river water in concentrations around
parts per million to parts per billion. The spectrometer measures
these metals by ionizing a sample by flame or graphite furnace and
measuring the absorbance of those atoms at a specific wavelength characteristic
to the analyte in question. The concentration of the analyte is determined
by the light absorption based on Beer’s Law.
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St.
Mary's College of Maryland
Department
of Chemistry
18952 E. Fisher Road
St. Mary's City, MD 20686
Telephone:(240) 895-4362
Webpage last updated
July 21, 2005