What’s NMR?

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All magnetic nuclei possess a property called nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, when they are in a magnetic field and when certain other conditions are met. Based on these principles, a range of different types of technology have been developed. These include various types of medical imaging and spectroscopy.
Nuclear magnetic resonance depends on the fact that when an oscillating electromagnetic pulse is applied to nuclei within a magnetic field, the individual nuclei absorb energy and then release that energy in specific patterns. The pattern of energy absorption and release depends on the strength of the magnetic field and some other variables. By examining these models, physicists are able to study the quantum mechanical properties of atomic nuclei. Chemists can use NMR technology to explore the chemical and structural composition of samples, and in medicine, nuclear magnetic resonance technology is the basis of an often used type of medical imaging equipment.

All NMR technology is also based on a property called spin. When determining whether a given atomic nucleus has spin, the number of nucleons in the atom is counted. Nucleon is the collective name given to protons and neutrons. If the number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus is an odd number, the amount of spin the nuclei have is greater than zero. That nucleus is then said to possess the spin property. Any nucleus that has spin can be examined using NMR technology.

In nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a machine called a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer is used to obtain information about the type, number and arrangement of nuclei within a given sample. For example, a chemist’s analysis of an NMR spectrum can provide information about the different types of chemicals present within a sample, as well as the structure of the different molecules present. NMR spectroscopy, for example, has been instrumental in understanding how nucleic acids and proteins are structured, and it also provides clues about how these molecules work.

The basis of nuclear magnetic resonance is based on the fact that the resonant frequency of different molecules is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field that is applied to them. When a sample is placed within an oscillating magnetic field, the resonant frequencies of the nuclei within the sample vary depending on where they are within that field. These variations can then be used to create an image of the sample itself.

In medicine, this technique is commonly known as magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance imaging. This medical imaging equipment uses magnetic fields to align the hydrogen atoms in water. Since the human body contains a large proportion of water, aligning the hydrogen atoms in this way yields enough information to build a picture of the internal structure of the body. Spin possession is an important concept in this technology. This is because hydrogen atoms, which have spin, respond differently to magnetic fields depending on what other types of molecules they are bonded to and also what types of molecules they are positioned close to.

NMR technology has many other theoretical and practical applications. The petroleum and natural gas industries use NMR technology to aid in the exploration of the earth’s rock to locate deposits of these fuels. One of the most significant uses of NMR technology in examining samples is that it is done without destroying the sample. This means that NMR tests can be performed on delicate or dangerous samples with very little risk.

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