Column: The Baseline

Articles

The history of how the atomic number came to be

Spectroscopy and the Atomic Number

A logarithm is a mathematical function that shows up in some forms of spectroscopy. Understanding what it is can give us a better appreciation for its function in our fields.

Logger Rhythm

A detailed look at what makes the sky appear blue in color, using Rayleigh scattering, Maxwell's equations, and the Mie theory.

Why Is the Sky Blue?

A reminder of what certain terms mean and how they should be used in scientific work

Quantities, Symbols, and Units in Spectroscopy

A look at how fluorescent lights are spectroscopically different from the old-fashioned incandescent light bulb.

Fluorescent Lights

Here, Maxwell's fourth equation of electrodynamics and how light is described in terms of Maxwell's four mathematical expressions is examined.

Maxwell's Equations, Part VII

Results are generalized from the last installment and considerations are made for how it applies to one of Maxwell's equations.

Maxwell's Equations, Part VI

Here, we continue the discussion of electromagnetism and Maxwell's second equation.

Maxwell's Equations, Part V

A discussion of magnetism, leading into Maxwell's second equation

Maxwell's Equations, Part IV

Here's the fundamental calculus you need to understand Maxwell's first equation