visible spectroscopy

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July 14, 2026

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Visible spectroscopy is a branch of spectroscopy that studies the interaction of visible light with matter. Visible light is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths ranging from approximately 400 to 700 nanometres.

When visible light interacts with a substance, certain wavelengths can be absorbed, causing the substance to appear colored. This absorption occurs when the energy of the light matches the energy difference between quantum states within the molecules of the substance. UV-visible spectroscopy is particularly useful for analyzing molecules containing conjugated pi bonds, which are responsible for color in many organic compounds.

Spectrophotometry, a related technique, measures the intensity of transmitted or reflected light as a function of wavelength, allowing for the identification and quantification of substances based on their unique absorption patterns.12

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spectroscopy
Visible and ultraviolet spectroscopy
Colours as perceived by the sense of vision are simply a human observation of the inverse of a visible absorption spectrum. The underlying phenomenon is that of an electron being raised from
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Colours as perceived by the sense of vision are simply a human observation of the inverse of a visible absorption spectrum. The underlying phenomenon is that of an electron being raised from
Read More

chemical compound
Ultraviolet and visible (UV-visible) spectroscopy
Most organic compounds are transparent to the relatively high-energy radiation that constitutes the ultraviolet (200–400 nm) and visible (400–700 nm) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and consequently they appear colourless in solution. This is because the electrons in the σ bonds of…
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Most organic compounds are transparent to the relatively high-energy radiation that constitutes the ultraviolet (200–400 nm) and visible (400–700 nm) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and consequently they appear colourless in solution. This is because the electrons in the σ bonds of…
Read More