Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy is study of the absorption and emission of light and other radiation by matter, as related to the dependence of these procedures on the wavelength of the radiation. More recently, the definition has been expanded to include the study of the relations between particles such as electrons, protons, and ions, as well as their interaction with other particles as a role of their collision energy. Spectroscopic analysis has been crucial in the development of the most fundamental hypothesis in physics, including quantum mechanics, the special and general theories of relativity, and quantum electrodynamics. Spectroscopy, as applied to high-energy collisions, has been a key tool in developing scientific consideration not only of the electromagnetic force but also of the strong and weak nuclear forces.