Date: February 2, 1998 Chart 1

Spectrophotometry is a technique most scientists have used at some point in their careers. Whether for confirmation of a compound's identity or for quantitation of a protein, spectrophotometry in the ultraviolet and visible spectrum has rapidly found increasing applications in numerous fields within the last few years. To help meet this demand, manufacturers of instrumentation for UV/Vis spectrophotometry now provide machines with a wide spectrum of features and specifications. LabConsumer contacted 16 companies and received information on over 50 UV/Vis spectrophotometers to choose from. As you will see, spectrophotometry has come a long way since Dr. Arnold Beckman constructed the original device in the 1940's.

Adapted from Hewlett-Packard's "Fundamentals of Modern UV-Visible Spectroscopy" publication number 12-5965-512E, 1996.
What magic happens inside that UV/Vis spectrophotometer on the bench? Several things have to happen in order for you to jot down numbers in your notebook. First,...

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