Word
spectrometry
Phoneticsspec·trom·e·try
US/spɛkˈtɹɑmətɹi/
UK/spɛktɹˈɒmətɹi/
Definition
n. a scientific method used to identify the chemical elements in a substance by looking at the light it gives off or absorbs. It helps scientists see what is inside a material without changing it.
n. the branch of analytical chemistry that involves the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. It is used to determine the composition of substances based on the wavelengths of light they emit or absorb.
Examples
“The lab uses spectrometry to test the water for chemicals.”
“Advanced spectrometry allows astronomers to identify the presence of specific gases in the atmosphere of distant planets.”
“By employing high-resolution mass spectrometry, researchers were able to detect trace amounts of rare isotopes that had previously been undetectable in the sample.”
Examples
simple
“The lab uses spectrometry to test the water for chemicals.”
contextual
“Advanced spectrometry allows astronomers to identify the presence of specific gases in the atmosphere of distant planets.”
complex
“By employing high-resolution mass spectrometry, researchers were able to detect trace amounts of rare isotopes that had previously been undetectable in the sample.”
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“Mass spectrometry is a method that helps scientists identify molecules by measuring their mass and chemical properties.” “Researchers there used biological accelerator spectrometry, or BioAMS, to detect radioactive markers at extremely small concentrations.” Etymology
From spectro- + -metry.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/spectrometry