Final answer:
The Beer-Lambert law describes the relationship between absorbance, concentration, pathlength, and the molar extinction coefficient. Absorbance (A) equals the product of pathlength (l), concentration (c), and the molar extinction coefficient (ε). The molar extinction coefficient is a characteristic value that describes how strongly a compound absorbs light at a specific wavelength.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Beer-Lambert law states that the absorbance (A) of a sample is equal to the product of the pathlength (l) and the concentration (c) of the sample, multiplied by the molar extinction coefficient (ε). Mathematically, it is represented as A = εcl.
The molar extinction coefficient (ε) is a characteristic value that describes how strongly a compound absorbs light at a particular wavelength. It is expressed in units of L / mole cm.
For example, if the concentration of a sample is 0.01 M, the pathlength is 1 cm, and the molar extinction coefficient is 100 L / mole cm, then the absorbance would be 0.01 x 1 x 100 = 1.