What is the function of a spectrophotometer in a lab?

A spectrophotometer is an essential analytical instrument used in laboratories to measure the absorbance or transmittance of light by a sample. This function is crucial for numerous applications, such as determining the concentration of solutes in a solution. When light passes through a sample, some wavelengths are absorbed while others may be transmitted. By measuring the intensity of light before and after it passes through the sample, the spectrophotometer can provide quantitative data about the sample's properties.

The ability to quantify how much light is absorbed by different components in a mixture allows scientists to infer information about chemical concentrations and reactions. This is particularly important in fields such as biochemistry and molecular biology, where understanding the behavior of biomolecules is vital for experimental analysis.

In contrast, measuring the volume of liquid pertains to volumetry and does not involve light analysis. Creating a vacuum environment is a physical setup related to certain experiments but does not involve light measurement. Recording temperature changes is pertinent to thermodynamics and reaction kinetics, not the optical analysis performed by a spectrophotometer. Thus, the function of measuring absorbance or transmittance distinctly defines the role of a spectrophotometer in laboratory settings.