Path length  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   (Redirected
from Pathlength) Jump to: navigation, search  Path length can
mean one of several related concepts:   In physics, there are
two definitions for "path length." The first is defined as the
total distance an object travels. Unlike displacement, which is
the total distance an object travels from a starting point, path
length is the total distance travelled, regardless of where it
travelled. The second is synonymous with wavelength and is used
in calculating constructive and destructive interference of
waves.   In chemistry, the path length is defined as the
distance that light (UV/VIS) travels through a sample in an
analytical cell. Typically, a sample cell is made of quartz,
glass, or a plastic rhombic cuvette with a volume typically
ranging from 0.1 mL to 10 mL or larger used in a
spectrophotometer. For the purposes of spectrophotometry (i.e.
when making calculations using the Beer-Lambert law) the path
length is measured in centimeters (rather th