What is the Difference Between Flame Emission Spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Flame emission spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy are both spectro-analytical procedures used to determine the presence and concentration of certain elements in a sample. However, there are key differences between the two methods:
- Light Emission vs. Light Absorption: The main difference between flame emission spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy lies in the way light interacts with the atoms. In flame emission spectroscopy, certain wavelengths are emitted from atoms, while in atomic absorption spectroscopy, certain wavelengths are absorbed by atoms.
- Excitation Method: In flame emission spectroscopy, the electrons in the analyte atoms are excited by the thermal energy in the flame. In atomic absorption spectroscopy, a source of pure light is needed to excite the analytes without causing excessive instrumental noise. Most instruments today use a hollow cathode lamp that is specific to each element being analyzed to emit a very narrow bandwidth of UV or visible radiation into the instrument for detection.
- Detection Method: In flame emission spectroscopy, the intensity of the light emitted by the excited atoms is measured, while in atomic absorption spectroscopy, the difference in the radiant power of the resonance line in the presence and absence of the analyte atoms in the flame is determined.
In summary, flame emission spectroscopy focuses on the wavelengths emitted by excited atoms, while atomic absorption spectroscopy measures the wavelengths absorbed by atoms. Both methods are used to analyze the presence and concentration of specific elements in a sample, but they use different approaches to achieve this goal.
Comparative Table: Flame Emission Spectroscopy vs Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
Here is a table comparing the differences between Flame Emission Spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy:
Feature | Flame Emission Spectroscopy | Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy |
---|---|---|
Principle | Certain wavelengths are emitted from atoms | Certain wavelengths are absorbed by atoms |
Quantification | Quantifies the amount of sample present by detecting the emission of light | Quantifies the amount of sample present by detecting the absorption of light |
Detection Level | Can work on parts per billion (ppb) levels | Can work on parts per million (ppm) and parts per billion (ppb) levels |
Limitations | Detects all components together, which increases chances of uncertainty | Requires individual flame for every element, making it more expensive and limited to liquid samples |
Instrumentation | Simpler and more economical | More complex and expensive |
Applications | Used for the analysis of inorganic constituents in various samples | Used for the analysis of more than 70 different metals |
Both Flame Emission and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy are spectro-analytical procedures that study the interaction of light with matter, but they differ in the way they detect and quantify the elements in a sample.
- Atomic Absorption vs Atomic Emission
- Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy vs UV Visible Spectroscopy
- Emission vs Absorption Spectra
- Absorption Spectrum vs Emission Spectrum
- Atomic Spectroscopy vs Molecular Spectroscopy
- Absorbance vs Fluorescence
- Flame Photometer vs Spectrophotometer
- Spectroscopy vs Spectrometry
- Spectrophotometer vs Spectrofluorometer
- UV Vis vs Fluorescence Spectroscopy
- Action Spectrum vs Absorption Spectrum
- Absorptance vs Absorbance
- Gas Chromatography vs Mass Spectrometry
- FTIR vs Raman Spectroscopy
- X-ray Diffraction vs X-ray Fluorescence
- Spectrometer vs Spectrophotometer
- Colorimetry vs Spectrophotometry
- Molar Absorptivity vs Specific Absorbance
- Absorptivity vs Molar Absorptivity