spectroscopic analysis
1
7.2
- noun
- /ˌspɛktrəˈskɒpɪk əˈnælɪsɪs/
- Specialized
:
análisis espectroscópico
- The scientists performed a thorough spectroscopic analysis to understand the composition of the new material.
Examples
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Once Steve confirmed that the spectroscopic analysis was carried out using a recording, the audience tried to explain the flaws of this method: film or digital recordings do not capture the whole spectrum and instead only record how it is made up from primary colors.
Blog text (30) -
Yeah, I will do a full spectroscopic analysis.
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Spectroscopic analysis of stars also provides us with information on elemental abundances.
Academic text (2005) -
"The results of chemical and spectroscopic analysis," they note, "are consistent with the anecdotal evidence that the product should function as a source of nutrients and stabilized organic matter for the soil."
Academic text (1998) -
Maury studied spectroscopic binaries—stars whose double nature is evident only through spectroscopic analysis.
Academic text (1992) -
Using spectroscopic analysis, researchers discovered the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere of the exoplanet.
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The spectroscopic analysis showed distinct patterns that revealed the chemical makeup of the sample.
Synonyms
5
7.7
A method that studies light from substances to find what they are made of
2
7.5
A way to measure light or particles to learn what a material is made of
1
7.5
A method that uses light patterns to find what a material is made of
1
5.6
To study light from an object to find what it is made of
A method that records light to study what things are made of
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'spectroscopic' specifies the type of examination (relating to spectra/electromagnetic interactions) and 'analysis' means systematic examination, so the compound denotes an analysis using spectroscopic methods. Although the term is technical, the semantic combination is transparent and follows regular adjective+noun composition found cross-linguistically, so a learner who knows both constituents would understand it.
Etymology
Spectroscopic analysis comes from the simple image of splitting a material's light into colours, like a rainbow, and reading the pattern those colours make. Different materials make different light patterns, so looking at the pattern tells you what something is made of, which is why the phrase means 'examining a material by studying the pattern of light it makes'.