An Audio Analogy To FT-NMR and FT-IR Spectroscopy

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 5 Issue 6 (2000) pp 306-311

An Audio Analogy To FT-NMR and FT-IR Spectroscopy

Roy W. Clark*

Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132-0001

Published online: 1 November 2000

Abstract. The principles behind the operation of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and an infrared spectrophotometer were fairly easy to explain to students fifteen years ago. As NMR and IR instruments became FTIR and FTNMR instruments, students understanding of these important chemical tools became vague to nonexistent. Furthermore, the task of a teacher to explain them to the students became more difficult. The audio-frequency analogy presented here is offered as a plausible technique for presenting these difficult ideas to chemistry students.

Key Words: In the Classroom; physical chemistry, analytic chemistry, FFT, NMR, FTIR, Fourier

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: royclark@bellsouth.net)

Article in PDF format (273 KB) HTML format

Supporting Materials:

Wave file "moo" (5 KB) 10.1007/s00897000427b

Excel Spreadsheet File FFT (551 KB) 10.1007/s00897000427c