Colorimeters and Photometers
A colorimeter is a device used in colorimetry. In scientific fields the word generally refers to the device that measures the absorbance of particular wavelengths oflight by a specific solution.[1] This device is most commonly used to determine the concentration of a known solute in a given solution by the application of the Beer-Lambert law, which states that the concentration of a solute is proportional to the absorbance.
A photometer, generally, is an instrument that measures light intensity or optical properties of solutions or surfaces. Photometers measure:
- Illuminance
- Irradiance
- Light absorption
- Scattering of light
- Reflection of light
- Fluorescence
- Phosphorescence
- Luminescence
Most photometers detect the light with photoresistors, photodiodes or photomultipliers. To analyze the light, the photometer may measure the light after it has passed through a filter or through a monochromator for determination at defined wavelengths or for analysis of the spectral distribution of the light.
