Fundamentals of Spectroscopy 

Atomic spectroscopy involves the interaction of atoms with light, while molecular spectroscopy involves the interaction of molecules with light. Atomic spectroscopy provides information about the atomic or elemental identity of a sample, while molecular spectroscopy can reveal information about molecular identity and molecular structure.

The types of transitions involved atomic vs. molecular spectroscopy are different: in atomic spectroscopy electronic state transitions are typically observed, while in molecular spectroscopy, in addition to electronic state transitions, vibrational and rotational transitions can also be studied. This eBook focuses on molecular spectroscopy.