Term | Definition |
chromatography | means of separating and identifying the components of a mixture |
TLC (thin layer chromatography) | uses a solid stationary phase and a moving liquid phase to separate a mixture |
Gas Chromatography | uses a stationary liquid phase and a moving gas phase to separate a mixture |
Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry | measure the absorbance of light at a frequency beyond blue to identify compounds |
Mass Spectrometer | gas enters a high vacuum chamber, electrons collide with sample forming ions, which then pass through an electromagnetic field and are separated |
Breathalyzer | machine developed in 1954 to test the amount of alcohol in a person's breath |
Intoxilyzer | Machine currently used today by law enforcement to test a person's BAC, which is admissible in court |
toxicology | the science of detecting and identifying drugs and poisons in the body |
alcohol | a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks |
alcosensor | device found inside PBT that turns acetic acid from alcohol into electrons |
"fingerprint" | pattern produced by a mass spectrometer used to identify compounds |
NIK test | presumptive field test for the presence of narcotics |
color tests | field tests that change color in the presence of drugs/alcohol |
PBT (portable breath test) | used in the field to determine a person's BAC |
spectrophotometry | general method based on how chemical compound absorb light |
infrared spectrophotometry | measure the absorbance of light at a frequency beyond red to identify compounds |