Convert Wavenumber to Wavelength

Unit Converter for Wavenumber and Wavelength

Wavenumber vs. Wavelength

In UV and VIS spectroscopy, wavelengths are the usual unit of choice. This is not unknown in NIR spectroscopy either, but the unit wavenumber is more common there. The wavenumber is simply the reciprocal of the wavelength. However, the different units of length must be taken into account: Wavelengths in spectrometry are rarely specified in meters.

The great advantage of wavenumbers is that it is proportional to the frequency and thus energy of the electromagnetic wave. When comparing two wavenumbers, the different radiation energy can be estimated immediately.

In everyday life, it should be noted that a change between wavenumber and wavelength can lead to distortions in visualized spectra, especially in the short-wave range. Spectra with different units are therefore not directly comparable with each other with the naked eye.