Beer-Lambert Law
Absorbance of light through a solution is proportional to concentration and path length.
By August Beer, Johann Lambert
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Discoverers: August Beer, Johann Lambert (1852)
What does it mean?
Absorbance of light through a solution is proportional to concentration and path length.
Why should I care?
Enabled spectrophotometry—the workhorse of chemical analysis.
Equation Compass
North — Prerequisites
West — History
East — Applications
South — Derivations
Variables & Units
| Symbol | Name | Unit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absorbance | — | Log of transmitted light | |
| Molar absorptivity | — | Extinction coefficient | |
| Path length | cm | Cuvette width | |
| Concentration | mol/L | Molar concentration |
Worked Example
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Beer-Lambert Law
Real-world impact
Life sciences
Mathematical models drive medicine and biotech.
Photo: Unsplash — laboratory
Absorbance of light through a solution is proportional to concentration and path length.
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