What is the purpose of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer in organic chemistry?

The purpose of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer in organic chemistry is to quantify the concentration of organic compounds by measuring light absorbance. This technique works based on the principle that certain organic molecules absorb ultraviolet or visible light at specific wavelengths. By passing light through a sample and measuring the intensity of light that emerges, the instrument can determine how much light is absorbed by the sample.

The amount of light absorbed is directly related to the concentration of the absorbing species in the solution, following Beer-Lambert Law. This relationship allows chemists to calculate the concentration of a compound within a mixture, making the UV-Vis spectrophotometer a vital tool for analyzing samples in various experiments and research applications. Thus, it plays a crucial role in many aspects of organic chemistry, including qualitative and quantitative analysis of compounds.