Wavenumber: Difference between revisions

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imported>Johan Förberg
(The wave number is not limited to spectroscopy.)
imported>Johan Förberg
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Historically, wavenumbers were introduced by [[Janne Rydberg]] in the 1880's in his analyses of atomic spectra.
Historically, wavenumbers were introduced by [[Janne Rydberg]] in the 1880's in his analyses of atomic spectra.


Wavenumbers (<math>v'</math>), wavelength (<math>\lambda</math>), and frequency (<math>v</math>) are related:
Wavenumbers (<math>k</math>), wavelength (<math>\lambda</math>), and frequency (<math>f</math>) are related:


<math>
:<math>k = \frac{2 \pi}{\lambda}, \qquad k = \frac{2 \pi f}{v}</math>
  v' [cm^{-1}] = \frac{1}{\lambda [cm]} = \frac{v [sec^{-1}]}{(c \frac{m}{sec}) (100 \frac{cm}{m})}
</math>

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In science, the wavenumber indicates the number of wavelengths that would fit in a unit of length. The normal units for wavenumbers are inverse centimeters cm-1. A different name for this unit is kayser (after Heinrich Kayser). Light with a wavelength of 500 nm (green) has a wavenumber of 20,000 cm-1 or 20 kK. Photon energy and frequency are proportional to wavenumber: 10 kK corresponds to 1.24 eV.

Historically, wavenumbers were introduced by Janne Rydberg in the 1880's in his analyses of atomic spectra.

Wavenumbers (), wavelength (), and frequency () are related:

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