what is difference between colorimetry and spectrophotometry?

Answer 1

Colorimetry is a specrophotometric determination but as the name suggests it revolves around the forming colour so the visible part of the EM spectrum. It is usually made using simple instruments usually visual comparison to standards or simple filter spectrophotomers. The vavelength discrimination is thes machines is somewhat poor and deviations from Beer's law (abs proportional to cocnc) can occur. Despite this, these techniques are widely used very successfully in routine chemical analysis.

Spectrophotometry is available across most of the EM spectrum form gamma rays to IR. The better instruments have much better sources and monochromators to produce "single" wavelength radiation. Generally the detection equipment is superior as well. Also being a spectrophotomer the source, monochromator sample and detector is "in line". You might also want to check fluometry is you want to go further.

Answer 2

Colorimetry is the science that describes colors in numbers, or provides a physical color match using a variety of measurement instruments.

Colorimetry is used in chemistry, and in industries such as colour printing, textile manufacturing, paint manufacturing and in the food industry.

A colorimeter takes 3 wideband readings along the visible spectrum to obtain a rough estimate of a colour sample. For critical colour matching a spectrophotometer that takes readings 31 times along the visible spectrum would be employed. A densitometer is sufficient to measure lightness and darkness. A spectroradiometer measures the colours of light sources.


In physics, spectrophotometry is the quantitative study of electromagnetic spectra. It is more specific than the general term electromagnetic spectroscopy in that spectrophotometry deals with visible light, near-ultraviolet, and near-infrared. Also, the term does not cover time-resolved spectroscopic techniques.

Spectrophotometry involves the use of a spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometer is a photometer (a device for measuring light intensity) that can measure intensity as a function of the color, or more specifically, the wavelength of light. There are many kinds of spectrophotometers. Among the most important distinctions used to classify them are the wavelengths they work with, the measurement techniques they use, how they acquire a spectrum, and the sources of intensity variation they are designed to measure. Other important features of spectrophotometers include the spectral bandwidth and linear range.

Perhaps the most common application of spectrophotometers is the measurement of light absorption, but they can be designed to measure diffuse or specular reflectance. Strictly, even the emission half of a luminescence instrument is a kind of spectrophotometer.

There are two major classes of spectrophotometers; single beam and double beam. A double beam spectrophotometer measures the ratio of the light intensity on two different light paths, and a single beam spectrophotometer measures the absolute light intensity. Although ratio measurements are easier, and generally stabler, single beam instruments have advantages; for instance, they can have a larger dynamic range.

Answer 3

These are laboratory methods to determine the concentrations of unknown substances in the blood, like glucose, fats, etc. The obtained results will be made as a basis by the doctor to diagnose absence or presence of disease. Spectrophotometry is a type of colorimetry. There are two types of colorimetry:visual and photoelectric. Spectrophotometry is the most common type of a photoelectric colorimetry. The spectrophotometer (machine used) utilizes Beer-Lambert's Law which says that the amount of light absorbed by the unknown solution is directly proportional to its concentration and the amount of light transmitted is inversely proportional to the concentration of substance being determined. In short the spectro measures the amount of light absorbed and transmitted and makes these as an indirect measurement of the concentration of a substance. The amount of light depends upon the color and intensity of color of the unknown substance Colorimetry is the general type and spectrophotometry is the specific type. But they all measure color and intensity of color through light.

Answer 4

Colorimetry: a form of absorption spectroscopy in which a reagent that bonds with the species of interest is added to a liquid solution, resulting in a change in color of the solution. The method has been applied, for example, in the determination of the content of certain metals in atmospheric aerosols.

spectrophotometry: Employed to measure the amount of light that a sample absorbs.

Answer 5

SPECTROPHOTOMETRY IS MORE GENERAL than colorimetry.

Colorimetry is limited to thevisble light only with wavelengths fron 400 to 800nm while spectrophotmetry can be extended to X-rays, UV, infrared and radiofrequencies

Answer 6

The difference between a spectrophotometer (like the i1 by Gretag-Macbeth) and a colorimeter, is that the spectrophotometer utilizes either a diffraction grating or prism in the sensor, while a colorimeter utilizes a three color source (red, green and blue) generated by either a color wheel with colored filters, or, in this case, sets of specially designed LEDs.
(Spectrophotometry involves the use of a spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometer is a photometer (a device for measuring light intensity) that can measure intensity as a function of the color, or more specifically, the wavelength of light. There are many kinds of spectrophotometers. Among the most important distinctions used to classify them are the wavelengths they work with, the measurement techniques they use, how they acquire a spectrum, and the sources of intensity variation they are designed to measure. Other important features of spectrophotometers include the spectral bandwidth and linear range.

A colorimeter is device used to measure the absorbance of a specific solution. It allows the absorbance of a solution at a particular wavelenght of light to be determined. The most common application of a colorimeter is to determine the concentration of a known solute. Different chemical substances absorb different wavelenghts of light. The concentration of a solute is proportional to the absorbance.

The optics filter in the colorimeter is used to select the wavelenght of light which the solute absorbs the most, in order to maximise accuracy.

Colorimeters usually measure results in percent transmission, percent absorption, or both.

In graphic design, colorimeters are used to generate colour profiles for equipment in the workflow. Accurate colour profiles are important to ensure that screen displays match the final printed products.)

Answer 7

spectrophotometry is a method based on light passing through a solution. Colorimetry usually compares the colour of a sample with a standard or reference. Chromatography separates components of a mixture. They are all routinely used in the food industry for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. And Kjehldahl is the industry standard for determining protein content. Actually it determines nitrogen content so you need to know WHICH protein is being determined.

Answer 8

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Spectrometry looks at how light interacts with matter. This my be in the form of a NMR spectrometer which looks how matter interacts with radio waves, or IR spec etc. Different atoms or groups within compounds will react with light in different ways allowing those atoms/groups to be identified. Colorimetry, as far as I know, is just a form of spectrometry which looks at the visible colour of a solution and relates this to its concentration. Chromatography involves passing a mobile phase, i.e the liquid you are looking at or a gas, over a stationary phase,(e.g paper, or a chromatography column filled with silica gel). It will take different molecules within the mobile phase different times to pass through the stationary phase, allowing parts of a solution to be seperated. Chromatography is generaly used to separate compounds but need to be conected to other equipment, e.g spectrometers, to give quantitative analysis of the separated parts of the solution. Most spectrometry is just used to identify what compounds/ functional groups are present although some spectrometry , e.g colorimetry can be used to give direct quantitative measurements throught beers law.

Answer 9

spectrophoto metry doesnot require a colori meter . but colorimetry is tested in a spectrophotometer.