absorption edge
absorption edge, in physics, abrupt increase in the degree of absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a substance as the frequency of the radiation is increased. Absorption edges are particularly characteristic of the behaviour of X-rays and are related to the sharply defined levels of energy that electrons occupy in atoms.
This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch.
Citation Information
Article Title:
absorption edge
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
12 March 2018
Access Date:
November 13, 2026