Electromagnetic radiation characteristics

Wang Enyuan, He Xueqiu, Dou Linming, etc. During Coal Mining Coal Rock Electromagnetic Radiation Characteristics and Application [J].2005, 48... 

A Figure 6.4 Wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation characteristic of various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Notice that color can be expressed quantitatively by wavelength. 

X-ray Electromagnetic radiation of wave length c. 1 k. X-rays are generated in various ways, including the bombarding of solids with electrons, when they are emitted as a result of electron transitions in the inner orbits of the atoms bombarded. Each element has a characteristic X-ray spectrum. 

Spectroscopy, or the study of the interaction of light with matter, has become one of the major tools of the natural and physical sciences during this century. As the wavelength of the radiation is varied across the electromagnetic spectrum, characteristic properties of atoms, molecules, liquids and solids are probed. In the... 

The energy of a photon provides an additional characteristic property of electromagnetic radiation. 

In the previous section we defined several characteristic properties of electromagnetic radiation, including its energy, velocity, amplitude, frequency, phase angle, polarization, and direction of propagation. Spectroscopy is possible only if the photon s interaction with the sample leads to a change in one or more of these characteristic properties. 

Spectrometers are designed to measure the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a sample. Basically, a spectrometer consists of a source of radiation, a compartment containing the sfflnple through which the radiation passes, and a detector. The frequency of radiation is continuously varied, and its intensity at the detector is compar ed with that at the source. When the frequency is reached at which the sample absorbs radiation, the detector senses a decrease in intensity. The relation between frequency and absorption is plotted as a spectrum, which consists of a series of peaks at characteristic frequencies. Its interpretation can furnish structural information. Each type of spectroscopy developed independently of the others, and so the data format is different for each one. An NMR spectrum looks different from an IR spectrum, and both look different from a UV-VIS spectrum. 

Section 13.20 IR spectroscopy probes molecular- structure by examining transitions between vibrational energy levels using electromagnetic radiation in the 625-4000-cm range. The presence or absence of a peak at a characteristic frequency tells us whether a certain functional group is present. Table 13.4 lists IR absorption frequencies for common structural units. 

The various forms of spectroscopy find widespread application in kinetic studies. They are usually well suited for application to in situ studies of the characteristics of the reaction mixture. The absorption by a reacting system of electromagnetic radiation (light, microwaves, radio-frequency waves, etc.) is a highly specific property... 

The heating characteristics of a particular material (for example, a solvent) under microwave irradiation conditions are dependent on the dielectric properties of the material. The ability of a specific substance to convert electromagnetic energy into heat at a given frequency and temperature is determined by the so-called loss tangent, tan <5. The loss factor is expressed as the quotient tan (3 = "/ , where e" is the dielectric loss, indicative of the efficiency with which electromagnetic radiation is... 

Optical principles are based on the fact that technical gases have distinct absorption spectra in different wavelength ranges of electromagnetic radiation. The widespread infrared spectral photometries uses the fact, that certain gases absorb infrared radiation in a characteristic manner. 02 and N2 are IR-inactive and therefore other compounds in air or flue gas can be easily detected. This technique has a very high selectivity for single compounds and shows only a few cross-sensitivities. 

Electromagnetic radiation has its origins in atomic and molecular processes. Experiments demonstrating reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference phenomena show that the radiation has wave-like characteristics, while its emission and absorption are better explained in terms of a particulate or quantum nature. Although its properties and behaviour can be expressed mathematically, the exact nature of the radiation remains unknown. 

The set of energy levels associated with a particular substance is a unique characteristic of that substance and determines the frequencies at which electromagnetic radiation can be absorbed or emitted. Qualitative information regarding the composition and structure of a sample is obtained through a study of the positions and relative intensities of spectral lines or bands. Quantitative analysis is possible because of the direct proportionality between the intensity of a particular line or band and the number of atoms or molecules undergoing the transition. The various spectrometric techniques commonly used for analytical purposes and the type of information they provide are given in Table 7.1. 

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