What detection instrument is used for a variety of applications involving solid, liquid, and gas samples based on the collection of scattered light?

Raman spectroscopy is an advanced analytical technique that utilizes the principle of inelastic scattering of monochromatic light, typically from a laser. When light interacts with molecular vibrations within a sample, most photons scatter elastically, but a small fraction scatter inelastically, resulting in a change in energy that corresponds to specific molecular vibrations. This scattered light provides valuable information about the molecular composition and structure of the sample, whether it is solid, liquid, or gas.

The versatility of Raman spectroscopy makes it particularly useful in hazardous materials detection, as it can analyze a wide range of materials without requiring extensive sample preparation. Moreover, since Raman spectroscopy typically uses visible or near-infrared light, it can be applied in real-time, allowing for the quick identification of substances in various states.

Comparatively, other techniques like infrared spectroscopy focus primarily on molecular vibrations and may require specific sample characteristics, which can limit their applicability across different states of matter. Ultraviolet light spectroscopy is effective for substances that absorb ultraviolet light, but it is not as widely applicable for solid, liquid, and gas samples in the same way Raman spectroscopy is. Nuclear magnetic resonance, while powerful for identifying molecular structures, is more specialized and not primarily based on light scattering, making it less versatile for broad