Question
What is the difference between a colorimeter and a spectrophotometer?
Summary
Difference between a colorimeter and spectrophotometer.
 

Answer

Colorimeters are usually portable and use LED light sources and color filters. As a result, they operate at fixed wavelengths and can only accommodate tests that incorporate those wavelengths. 

 

Spectrophotometers are usually bench top instruments and use light sources that can produce a range of wavelengths. The spectrophotometers used by Hach use  tungsten (or xenon) lamps to produce light in the visible spectrum and deuterium lamps to produce UV light. Spectrophotometers also use monochromators to select for a desired wavelength. As a result, spectrophotometers can be used for a broad range of tests.

 

比色計（也稱為過濾光度計）和分光光度計都測量水樣吸光度以確定分析物濃度。

比色計通常是攜帶式的，使用LED光源和彩色濾光片。 因此，它們在固定波長下工作，並且只能適應包含這些(固定)波長的測試。

分光光度計通常是實驗室桌上型儀器，使用可產生各種波長的光源。 Hach使用的分光光度計使用鎢（或氙）燈產生可見光譜中的光，使用氘燈產生紫外光。 分光光度計還使用單色儀來選擇所需的波長。 因此，分光光度計可用於廣泛的水質分析。