AAS atomic absorption spectrometry uses which arrangement for quantitative measurement of elements?

AAS atomic absorption spectrometry uses which arrangement for quantitative measurement of elements?

• A. Flame and graphite furnace
• B. Mass spectrometer
• C. Gas chromatography
• D. Infrared spectrometer

Answer: (A)

Atomic absorption measures how much light at a specific wavelength is absorbed by free atoms produced from the sample. For a reliable, quantitative signal, the sample must be atomized, turning it into gaseous atoms. The two main atomization arrangements used in AAS are flame atomization and graphite furnace (electrothermal) atomization. The flame provides steady atomization for many elements, while the graphite furnace offers higher sensitivity for trace amounts by heating a small graphite tube to high temperatures and introducing the sample there. Absorbance is then related to concentration through calibration with standards prepared under the same atomization conditions. Other techniques such as mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, or infrared spectroscopy do not use this flame or graphite furnace atomization approach for direct quantitative elemental measurement.

Atomic absorption measures how much light at a specific wavelength is absorbed by free atoms produced from the sample. For a reliable, quantitative signal, the sample must be atomized, turning it into gaseous atoms. The two main atomization arrangements used in AAS are flame atomization and graphite furnace (electrothermal) atomization. The flame provides steady atomization for many elements, while the graphite furnace offers higher sensitivity for trace amounts by heating a small graphite tube to high temperatures and introducing the sample there. Absorbance is then related to concentration through calibration with standards prepared under the same atomization conditions. Other techniques such as mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, or infrared spectroscopy do not use this flame or graphite furnace atomization approach for direct quantitative elemental measurement.