Raman

/ˈrɑːmən/ noun

Definition

A type of spectroscopy (scientific analysis technique) used to identify substances by how light scatters through them.

Etymology

Named after Indian physicist C.V. Raman who discovered the effect in 1928—when light passes through matter, some scattered light changes wavelength in characteristic ways revealing molecular composition.

Kelly Says

C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1930, making him the first non-European to win the science Nobel—and Raman spectroscopy is still used today to identify everything from counterfeit drugs to moon rocks.

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