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Chemistry

Identifying Functional Groups in Unknown Compounds Using Infrared Spectroscopy

Quick fact

The carbonyl group (C=O) produces an intense, unmistakable absorption band around 1700 cm⁻¹, making it one of the easiest functional groups to spot in an IR spectrum.

Why this is interesting

You’ve seen mysterious peaks on an IR spectrum—but how can those squiggly lines reveal exactly what functional groups are hiding inside an unknown molecule?