What is the most common light source used in the visible and near infrared region?

What is the most common light source used in the visible and near infrared region?

• A. Mercury Lamp
• B. Deuterium Lamp
• C. Tungsten Light Bulb
• D. Neon Lamp

Answer: (C)

The most common light source for the visible and near infrared region is a tungsten filament lamp. It emits a continuous spectrum that resembles a blackbody, spanning from the visible into the near-IR. This broad, smooth output is ideal for measurements that require white light or a stable baseline across a wide range of wavelengths. Other lamps produce discrete emission lines or are concentrated in the UV (like the deuterium lamp) or have prominent lines in the visible (like the mercury and neon lamps), which makes them unsuitable as broad-spectrum, visible-to-near-IR sources.

The most common light source for the visible and near infrared region is a tungsten filament lamp. It emits a continuous spectrum that resembles a blackbody, spanning from the visible into the near-IR. This broad, smooth output is ideal for measurements that require white light or a stable baseline across a wide range of wavelengths. Other lamps produce discrete emission lines or are concentrated in the UV (like the deuterium lamp) or have prominent lines in the visible (like the mercury and neon lamps), which makes them unsuitable as broad-spectrum, visible-to-near-IR sources.