Objectives

The aim of EduSpec's IR module is to teach you to recognize the peaks most frequently encountered in IR spectra and to correctly deduce the presence of the corresponding functional groups (hydroxy-, carbonyl-, amino-, etc.) in the molecular structure of the substance under investigation. An e-learning approach such as EduSpec is particularly suited for this objective, since it provides the possibility of a rapid, but extended repetition via short questions and quizzes.

Providing a theoretical understanding of infrared spectroscopy (or other techniques, for that matter) is explicitly NOT an objective of EduSpec. You are expected to have a basic understanding of the molecular phenomena that are related to the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in general and infrared radiation in particular. You are also expected to know - in general terms - what information an IR spectrum provides about molecular structure. Last but not least, you should be able to convert units of wavelength to units of frequency and units of wavenumber.