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Beer-Lambert Law:
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The Beer-Lambert Law describes the relationship between absorbance and the properties of the material through which light is passing. It states that absorbance is directly proportional to the concentration of the absorbing species and the path length of the light through the material.
The calculator uses the Beer-Lambert Law equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation calculates the concentration of a solution based on how much light it absorbs, considering the specific absorption characteristics of the substance and the distance light travels through the sample.
Details: Accurate concentration calculation is crucial for water quality analysis, chemical research, pharmaceutical development, and environmental monitoring. It helps determine the amount of dissolved substances in water samples.
Tips: Enter absorbance (unitless), molar absorptivity in L/mol·cm, and path length in cm. All values must be positive numbers greater than zero.
Q1: What is molar absorptivity?
A: Molar absorptivity (ε) is a measure of how strongly a chemical species absorbs light at a particular wavelength. It's a constant for each substance at a specific wavelength.
Q2: What are typical values for absorbance?
A: Absorbance values typically range from 0 to 2, with values between 0.1 and 1.0 considered optimal for accurate measurements.
Q3: Why is path length important?
A: Path length directly affects absorbance - longer path lengths result in greater absorbance, which is why standard cuvettes are typically 1 cm in length.
Q4: Are there limitations to the Beer-Lambert Law?
A: Yes, it assumes monochromatic light, dilute solutions, and that absorbance is solely due to the analyte of interest without interactions between molecules.
Q5: Can this calculator be used for any solution?
A: While designed for water solutions, it can be used for any solution as long as you have the correct molar absorptivity value for your specific analyte.