Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Optical emission spectrometry is one of the oldest physical methods of analysis, enabling multielement determinations at the level of major elements, minor elements, as well as trace elements. Its historical development is closely related to the progress in basic understanding of the nature of atomic spectra and the structure of matter. The optical emission spectra of atoms and ions (for a discussion see Refs. 1, 2) stem from transitions between the outer electron shells of the chemical elements which give rise to line spectra where the wavelength of the lines relates to the energy difference of the levels concerned according to: (4-1)% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaaguart1ev2aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaeuiLdqKaam% yraiabg2da9iaadIgacaWGJbGaai4laiabeU7aSbaa!3D64!$$ \Delta E = hc/\lambda $$