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Converting
spectra to other units
Which Y-axis unit should I use for a spectrum?
The most commonly used units are % transmittance and absorbance.
Use % transmittance if you plan to compare the spectrum visually
with published reference spectra. Use absorbance units for
quantitative analysis measurements.
Kubelka-Munk units are useful for searching diffuse reflectance
spectra against libraries of absorbance spectra.
Use photoacoustic units for spectra collected using a photoacoustic
accessory.
Percent reflectance units are mathematically equivalent to
% transmittance units, but using them for spectra collected using a
reflection technique serves to identify the technique.
Using log (1/R) units for spectra collected using a reflection
technique is useful for quantitative comparisons, since there is often
a linear relationship between the concentration of a component and
its log (1/R) value.
Collecting a Spectrum (available through Learning OMNIC)...
“Typical IR Transmission Spectrum”
?
In the OMNIC Help Topics Index...
Find “absorbance” and go to “Converting spectra to absorbance.”
Find “transmittance (%)” and go to “Converting spectra to
% transmittance.”
Find “Kubelka-Munk units” and go to “Kubelka-Munk units.”
Find “photoacoustic units” and go to “Photoacoustic units” topic.
Find “reflectance (%)” and go to “% Reflectance units.”
Find “log (1/R) units” and go to “Log (1/R) units.”
Nicolet FT-IR User’s Guide 101