ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY

Atomic spectroscopy is the study of the electromagnetic radiation absorbed and emitted by atoms. Since unique elements have characteristic (signature) spectra, atomic spectroscopy, specifically the electromagnetic spectrum or mass spectrum, is applied for determination of elemental compositions. It can be divided by atomization source or by the type of spectroscopy used. In the latter case, the main division is between optical and mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry generally gives significantly better analytical performance, but is also significantly more complex. This complexity translates into higher purchase costs, higher operational costs, more operator training, and a greater number of components that can potentially fail. Because optical spectroscopy is often less expensive and has performance adequate for many tasks, it is far more common[citation needed] Atomic absorption spectrometers are one of the most commonly sold and used analytical devices.

原子光谱学是研究原子吸收和发射电磁辐射的科学。由于独特元素具有特征（特征）光谱，因此原子光谱，特别是电磁光谱或质谱，可用于测定元素组成。它可以由雾化源或光谱类型来划分。在后一种情况下，主要分为光学光谱法和质谱法。质谱法通常能提供更好的分析性能，但也更为复杂。这种复杂性转化为更高的购买成本、更高的运营成本、更多的运营商培训以及更多可能失败的组件。由于光谱学通常成本较低，性能足以完成许多任务，因此原子吸收光谱仪是最常用的分析仪器之一。