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absorption spectrum

absorption spectrum

1 7.1
Pattern of dark lines that show which parts of light a substance removes when light passes through it
  • noun
  • /æbˈzɔːrpʃən ˈspɛktrəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : espectro de absorción
  • Steady-state absorption spectra were measured on an Agilent 8453 UV-VIS spectrophotometer.
  • differential absorption spectrum
  • linear absorption spectrum

But these lines were black and they were part of what we call an absorption spectrum.

Examples

  • Pigments were identified based on their absorption spectra and elution times.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Gabriela Livescu and coworkers at AT&T Bell Laboratories have also seen this effect in the absorption spectra of an InGaAs quantum well.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Here is the absorption spectrum, and here is the emission spectrum.

  • So far, I have probably given the impression that each visual pigment has a single absorption spectrum.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Looking at the absorption spectrum, the CO2 bands are already fully saturated.

    Blog text (1)
  • For example, it is easy to see that the absorption spectrum of water vapor overlaps that of CO2 for the most part.

    Blog text (21)
  • The UV-vis absorption spectra were recorded on an Agilent Cary 500 spectrophotometer.

    Academic text (2018)
  • By analyzing the absorption spectrum, scientists can identify which elements are present in a star.

  • The absorption spectrum of the solution revealed distinct lines, indicating the presence of various substances.

  • During the experiment, the researchers observed the absorption spectrum to study how light interacts with different materials.

Surface Forms

Morphology

absorption + spectrum

The compound meaning is directly derivable from 'absorption' (the process of taking up energy/substance) + 'spectrum' (a band of wavelengths): it denotes a spectrum characterized by absorption at specific wavelengths. This compositional pattern is common in scientific terminology and parallels constructions in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can grasp the basic meaning even if detailed technical specifics require further domain knowledge.

Etymology

Absorption spectrum comes from a simple picture: think of white light as a rainbow, a spectrum or 'range of colours', and imagine a gas that 'takes in' some colours — that absorption leaves dark lines where those colours are missing. That's why an absorption spectrum is a picture showing which colours of light were absorbed.