Question

what does the detector for flame atomic absorbance measure?

Answer 1

For flame atomic absorbance, a known wavelength is selected, and the detector will measure only the energy emitted at that wavelength.

However, as the concentration of the target atom in the sample increases, absorption will also increase proportionally. Thus, one runs a series of known concentrations of some compound, and records the corresponding degree of absorbance, which is an inverse percentage of light transmitted. A straight line can then be drawn between all of the known points. From this line, one can then extrapolate the concentration of the substance under investigation from its absorbance. The use of special light sources and specific wavelength selection allows the quantitative determination of individual components of a multielement mixture