Spectroscopy Guides
Free educational resources for analytical chemists, materials scientists, and chemistry students. Each guide connects directly to SpectralBench tools for hands-on practice.
Apply What You Learn
Open your own spectra alongside these guides — view, identify peaks, compare samples, and run PCA all in one place.
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Interactive Tools
FTIR Spectroscopy
Infrared Spectroscopy: How to Read FTIR Spectra
A step-by-step guide to infrared spectroscopy. How to read FTIR spectra, identify functional groups, and interpret absorption bands.
FTIR Spectrum Table
Interactive FTIR spectrum table with 80+ functional group entries. Wavenumber ranges, intensities, and band shapes for IR spectroscopy.
ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy
How ATR-FTIR works, ATR vs FTIR comparison, crystal selection, and sample preparation for attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy.
Raman Spectroscopy
How to Read a Raman Spectrum
A step-by-step guide to interpreting Raman spectra. Understand scattering principles, key spectral regions, and material identification from Raman shifts.
Common Raman Shifts Reference Table
Searchable reference table of 70+ common Raman shifts. Organized by material class with wavenumber ranges and intensities.
Fundamentals
Beer-Lambert Law Explained
Understand the Beer-Lambert law (A = εlc). Equation, units, derivation, limitations, and real-world applications. Free calculator included.
Wavenumber vs Wavelength
What is wavenumber (cm⁻¹)? Definition, units, symbol, formula, and conversion to wavelength. Free online converter included.
Spectroscopy Glossary (70+ Terms)
Comprehensive A-Z glossary of spectroscopy terms. Clear definitions with links to tools and articles for deeper learning.
Absorbance, Transmittance & Reflectance
What absorbance, transmittance, and reflectance mean. Conversion formulas, when to use each, and Kubelka-Munk for diffuse reflectance.
Techniques
Which Spectroscopy Method Should You Use?
Interactive guide comparing FTIR, Raman, NIR, UV-Vis, and SERS. Answer 4 questions to get a personalized recommendation for your application.
NIR Spectroscopy Explained
Introduction to near-infrared spectroscopy. How NIR works, what it measures, and where it's used — pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food, and more.
UV-Vis Spectroscopy Explained
Introduction to UV-Vis spectroscopy. Electronic transitions, chromophores, and applications in protein quantification, nanoparticles, and color measurement.
Data & Software
Spectral File Formats Explained
Guide to spectroscopy file formats: JCAMP-DX, SPC (GRAMS), Bruker OPUS, CSV. What each format contains, how to open them, and how to convert between them.
Free Spectroscopy Software (2026)
Comprehensive comparison of free and open-source spectroscopy software. Browser tools, desktop apps, and programmatic libraries for FTIR, Raman, and UV-Vis analysis.
How to Convert Spectral Files
Step-by-step guide to converting SPC, OPUS, JCAMP-DX, and CSV spectral files online. No desktop software required.
Try It Yourself
Apply what you've learned — open your spectra and use all the analysis tools in one place.
Open Workbenchw/ All Tools
No download · No account required · Works on any device