In: Chemistry
All elements / molecules have unique molar absorbances, that is,
1 mole of each molecule will absorb a specific amount of a (or
several) specific wavelengths of light.
Since it is the atoms/molecules that absorb the wavelenghts of
light, the more there are in a sample the more of the particular
wavelenghts will be absorbed, so as the concentration of the sample
increases the absorbance will increase.
The calibration involes running several standards of known
concentration through the spectrophotometer at a same wavelength.
Because at each concentration you should get a different absorbance
for same wavelength. For the calibration to work you must end up
with a curve.
The absorbance is plotted against the concentration to give the
calibration curve. This is not always linear, but it can be.
At any point on this curve you can work out a concentrtion of a
sample from the abs. and vice versa.