A spreadsheet exercise to teach the Fourier transform in FTIR spectrometry

Abstract

A spreadsheet exercise is presented that is designed to complement descriptions of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) found in some analytical chemistry textbooks. Students can convert spectra collected with an FTIR spectrometer into interferograms and back into spectra. They can also import interferograms from an FTIR spectrometer into the spreadsheet and convert them into spectra. © 2012 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.