CHAPTER 3.
Introduction to radiant
energy
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Objective
At the end of this chapter the student will be
able to:
Definition of terms
Discuss radiant energy
Describe properties of EMR
Explain about interaction of EMR with matter
Discuss basic law of absorption: Beer-Lambert’s
law
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Outline of radiant energy lecture
Introduction to radiant energy
Properties of EMR
Interaction of EMR with matter
Electromagnetic spectrum
Absorption measurements: Beer-Lambert’s law, stray
light
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[Link] to radiant energy
Electromagnetic radiation
Radiation showing electric & magnetic characteristics in
the form of waves or photons is termed as electromagnetic
radiation
It travels at approx. 3 x 105 km/s in the vacuum of space.
In materials which are transparent to electromagnetic
radiation, the velocity is slightly less than the velocity in a
vacuum.
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Dual Nature of EMR Energy
Energy transfers in the physical world either by
waves or particles
In general, electromagnetic radiation behaves:
as a wave when moving through space,
as a particle when it interacts with matter
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Wave Properties
Wave is the way of transferring an energy from one place to
another
Consists of discrete packets of energy or quanta called photons
It Can be described by:
1. Velocity (c )
2. Amplitude
3. Wave length (λ)
4. Frequency (ν)
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Wave Properties
1. Amplitude
The height the wave crest or troughs from the baseline
Governs brightness of light
2. Wavelength
distance between two wave crests or troughs
crest top to next crest top
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Wave Properties
1. Amplitude
The height the wave crest or troughs from the baseline
Governs brightness of light
2. Wavelength
distance between two wave crests or troughs
crest top to next crest top
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Wave Properties
3. Frequency
How fast it oscillates (goes up & down) measured in cycles
(remember crest to crest) per second.
The number of wave crests per second, that is the number of
wave crests that passes by a given point in one second.
1cycle/second = 1 Hz (hertz)
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Wave Properties
Relationship between c, λ & ν
The longer the wavelength the lower the frequency, or the
shorter the wavelength the higher the frequency.
This relationship is expressed in the formula
ν = c/λ where: - ν - frequency of light in cycle/sec.
- c - speed of EM wave in vacuum
- λ - wave length in cm
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Wave Properties
4. Speed of Light (velocity)
Speed of the wave
For example;
water - few meters per second
Sound wave – 340 m/sec
Light - 3 x 108 meters/second
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Electromagnetic Radiation
E = hv
Where h = planck’s constant (6.62x10-27 [Link])
ν = frequency
E = energy
E = h c /λ
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Interaction of EMR with matter
In order to use photometric instruments correctly & to
be able to develop & modify spectroscopic techniques it
is necessary to understand the principle of interaction of
radiation with matter.
The only way to observe electromagnetic radiation is by
its interaction with matter.
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Interaction of EMR with matter
It involves:
Diffraction
Reflection
Refraction
Absorption & transmission
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1. Diffraction
Is the change of direction of the EM beam when it strikes the edge of an
opaque body or it passes through a small hole
2. Refraction
bending of light as it passes through materials of different optical density
3. Reflection
When radiation falls on silver coated glasses, the beam of the radiation
returns towards the source of radiation
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The electromagnetic Spectrum
Spectrum is an ordered arrangement of radiant energy
according to the wavelength.
A. Continuous spectrum
A spectrum which is composed of visible lights of all
wavelengths are called Continuous spectrum
It is a continuous spectrum because one color fades into
another.
E.g. sun light or light from ordinary incandescent bulb
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Component energies of the electromagnetic spectrum
a. Radio waves
The longest- from a few meters to longer than the
size of the earth.
They can travel long distance in the atmosphere
b. Microwaves
The wavelength is from about 1 millimeter to 1
meter.
Used in communication, radar & cooking
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c. Infra red
Wavelength from 10-3 to 10-6 (micron)
Ranges from approx 12,500 – 50 cm-1
Used in toxicology and molecular structure
determination
• 4000 to 1000 cm -1 – used for the analysis of organic
compounds
• 1000 to 400 cm -1 - is used for the analysis of
inorganic compounds
• 12,500 to 4000 cm -1 is not helpful for such
analysis.
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d. Visible
It is a very small portion of the total EM spectrum
visible to human eye
It ranges from 700nm (at red light) to 400nm (violet)
the visible color of a solution corresponds to the
wavelength of the light that are transmitted, not
absorbed, by the solution.
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Electromagnetic spectrum
The different colors have different wavelengths &
frequencies.
The rest of the EM spectrum is not visible to the
human eye
Source of visible light:
o tungsten lamp.
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wavelength Color of Color of light /solution
in nm light reflected/complementary
absorbed
350-430 Violet Yellow
430-475 Blue Orange
475-495 Blue-green Red -Orange
495-505 Blue-green Orange - Red
505-555 Green red
555-575 Yellow- Violet red
green
575-600 Yellow Violet
600-650 Orange Blue
650-700 Red green
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Electromagnetic Spectrum
A substance that absorbs green light at 500 nm reflects or
transmits all other lights or wavelengths & appears as
purple.
To measure the concentration of a blue solution, light at
about 590 nm is passed through the solution
The amount of yellow light absorbed varies directly as
the concentration of the absorbing substance in solution
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EMR Spectrum
The absorbed color is the complementary of the
transmitted color.
Thus to make absorption measurement, one must use the
wavelength at which a colored solution absorbs light.
For example, a red solution absorbs green light &
transmitted red light. Therefore, a red solution should be
measured at 490 to 550nm
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EMR Spectrum
In photometer using filter used as a monochromator,
the filter chosen is usually complementary to the color
of the solution to be measured.
blue solution – yellow filter
Yellow solution –blue filter
Red solution – blue green filter
Blue green solution – red filter
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e. UV Light
It ranges from 400 to 100 nm
It is dangerous to tissue & cells (common sun
burns)
It is obtained by energy transition in the valence
electrons of the molecules.
Widely used in the quantitative & qualitative
determination of clinical chemistry tests.
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UV light
Source:
discharge tube containing hydrogen or deuterium at
reduced pressure.
High pressure mercury & xenon arc lamps.
c + d + e = light
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f. X- ray
It ranges from 100 to 0.1 nm
High frequency, high energy waves that can
penetrate several centimeters into most solid
matter.
Used in radiological diagnosis
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g. Gamma rays
it ranges from 0.1 to less than 10-16
It is the highest energy ray in the EM spectrum
It is generally produced in nuclear reactions & not as
common in nature,
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B. Line/atomic emission spectrum
a spectrum with only certain colors. (NOT
continuous like sunlight)
Samples of elements emit light when they are
vaporized (heated) or electricity passes through
them.
Every element has a unique line
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Line/ Atomic Emission
The wavelength of the line are characteristics of a
particular element
It can be used for qualitative identification &
quantitative determination of elements in an
unknown mixture
For example, flame photometer, atomic absorption
spectrophotometer.
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