Final answer:
The hydroxyl groups tend to absorb strongly in the near-infrared (NIR) range.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hydroxyl group in organic compounds tends to absorb strongly in the near-infrared (NIR) range. The NIR range spans from approximately 700 nm to 10,000 nm (or 14000 to 1000 cm-1), which is the region of the electromagnetic spectrum just beyond the visible light range. In the NIR range, the hydroxyl group exhibits a characteristic absorbance peak. For example, alcohols, which contain a hydroxyl group (-OH), typically show an absorbance peak around 3300 cm-1 or 3000 nm. This absorption is due to the stretching of the O-H bond.