A colorimeter measures the amount of color absorbed by an object or substance based on the red, blue, and green components of light absorbed. It works on Beer-Lambert’s law and can be used in various industries. A spectrophotometer is similar but can measure the intensity of any wavelength of visible light. To find the concentration of an unknown sample, a calibration curve is created by testing several samples of known concentration. Colorimeters can be used in the printing industry, cosmetology, and even hospitals to test blood hemoglobin concentration.
A colorimeter is a light-sensitive instrument that measures the amount of color absorbed by an object or substance. Determines color based on the red, blue and green components of light absorbed by the object or sample, just like the human eye does. When light passes through a medium, some of the light is absorbed and as a result, there is a decrease in the amount of light reflected from the medium. A colorimeter measures changes so users can analyze the concentration of a particular substance in that medium. The device works on the basis of Beer-Lambert’s law, which states that the absorption of light transmitted through a medium is directly proportional to the concentration of the medium.
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There are many different types of colorimeters, including the color densitometer, which measures the density of primary colors, and the color photometer, which measures the reflection and transmission of color. Styles include digital, also called laboratory, and portable. Digital versions are most often used in a laboratory setting for sampling or in the classroom for educational purposes. Portable versions can be carried anywhere, regardless of environmental conditions, to test things like on-site soil and water samples.
The spectrophotometer, a type of photometer that measures the intensity of light, is often grouped together with colorimeters, but is technically a different device. Both rely on Beer-Lambert’s law to calculate the concentration of a substance in a solution, but they do it in different ways. A colorimeter measures only the red, green and blue colors of light, while a spectrophotometer can measure the intensity of any wavelength of visible light. In general, spectrophotometers are more complicated and less rugged than most colorimeters; they must be handled with the utmost care and require regular recalibration.
How a colorimeter works
In its most basic form, a colorimeter works by passing a specific wavelength of light through a solution and then measuring the light passing through. In most cases, the more concentrated the solution, the more light it will absorb, which can be seen in the difference between the light at the source and after it has passed through the solution. To find the concentration of an unknown sample, several samples of the solution in which the concentration is known are first prepared and tested. These are then plotted on a graph with concentration on one axis and absorbance on the other to create a calibration curve; when the unknown sample is tested, the result is compared to the known samples on the curve to determine the concentration. Some types of colorimeters will automatically create a calibration curve based on an initial calibration.
it is used
A colorimeter can be used in a wide variety of industries and settings. Small handheld devices can be used to analyze the color contrast and brightness on a television or computer screen, allowing the user to adjust the settings to achieve the best picture quality. In the printing industry, a colorimeter is a key element in a color management system. Other applications of the printing industry include the control of electronic components and the quality of waste paper and the measurement of the quality of printing ink.
Diamond merchants use colorimeters to measure the optical properties of gemstones. In cosmetology, the device is used to measure the sun protection factor of products applied to the skin. Colorimeters can analyze skin tones and tooth color to help diagnose certain diseases, and hospitals even use some types of this device to test blood hemoglobin concentration.
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