Imagine a tube filled with a colored dye dissolved in water. An instrument emits infrared light, which shines through the
sample. A detector measures how much light passes through
the sample.
Some of the light is absorbed as it passes through the sample.
A detector on the other side of the sample determines how
much light passed through the sample. This value can be
compared to the amount of light that entered the sample.
The concentration of the dye in the water will determine how
much light is absorbed. The more concentrated the dye, the
more light is absorbed in the solution.
Absorbance also depends on the pathlength. A wide sample
will absorb more than a thin sample.
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