Spectroscopy Courses

What is Spectroscopy?

Spectroscopy studies the relationship between electromagnetic radiation and matter. It can help astronomers study the density, composition, or a number of other characteristics for bodies in space too far away for us to observe with the eye or through traditional measurement tools. It could also help astronomers discover extrasolar planets by examining different wavelengths of radiative energy. Scientists do this by measuring how light redirects as it interacts with matter. In the beginning, the field studied visible light, but now, we're able to use the same principles to analyze any radiative energy as it bounces off matter within our universe, including infrared radiation. Spectral lines within diffraction grating, for example, can teach us about an astral body's composition without us ever laying eyes on it through traditional means. We can use our knowledge of how light and other energy behaves to determine the characteristics of a body of matter we're studying even through the far reaches of the universe. Spectroscopic techniques expand what we can measure and record with the emission spectrum, bringing the universe into focus around us.

Learn Spectroscopy

This discipline uses knowledge of physics, chemistry, and astronomy to measure not just the physical properties of large bodies of our universe but also the smallest particles on an atomic scale with atomic emission measurements. It's helping us unravel the mystery of what lies beyond what our typical scientific instruments can measure and providing valuable insight into the nature of the universe. Spectroscopic Analysis is also applicable in biology. Biomedical spectroscopy is providing new ways to examine tissues and improving medical imaging. Whether your interest is in physics or biology, spectroscopy would be a valuable tool.

Spectroscopy Courses

edX can help you begin your journey in the analytical techniques of either the physics or biological track. In partnership with the University of Tokyo, you can gain an understanding of measurement principles in quantum mechanics. You'll learn how to determine the geometrical structures of molecules and their chemical composition using electron diffraction imaging. The other course specific to this field is EPFL's Fundamentals of Biomedical Imaging. It uses the latest techniques in spectroscopy uses, including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, to illustrate principles in medical imaging and determine which types of imaging are suitable for specific life science fields. Other courses in the fields of physics, astronomy, and biology available through edX and partners can further inform your knowledge and understanding of these fields. Once you've grasped the fundamentals in complementary courses, the principles of spectroscopic techniques come into full focus.

Build Your Career Using Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy illuminates our understanding of both astronomy and biology. Spectrograph measurements enhance what our eyes can't observe, using common x-ray and high energy characteristics around us. The electromagnetic spectrum goes far beyond our physical capability, and these concepts allow us to see further. Electrons in their excited state reveal so much about matter, and our use of various tools from fluorescence spectroscopy to infrared spectroscopy to Raman spectroscopy only enhances what we can discover.