What is the principle of a fluoridometer?

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Fluoridometers rely on fluorescence: a molecule absorbs light at a shorter wavelength and then emits light at a longer wavelength. The instrument shines excitation light on the sample and detects the emitted photons, typically after separating them from the excitation light with filters or a monochromator. The emitted signal is proportional to the amount of the fluorescent species present, enabling sensitive measurements. This is different from refraction (bending of light), from simply detecting light with a filter, or from measuring light transmitted through a suspension (which reflects absorbance concepts).