Optical spectrometers or optical emission spectrometer Optical absorption spectrometers Optical spectrometers (often simply called "spectrometers"), in particular, show the intensity of light as a function of wavelength or of frequency. The different wavelengths of light are separated by refraction in a prism or by diffraction by a diffraction grating. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy is an exampl. OverviewA spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to separate and measure components of a physical phenomenon. Spectrometer is a broad term often used to describe instruments that measure a continuous. Generally, the of an instrument tells us how well two close-lying energies (or wavelengths, or frequencies, or masses) can be resolved. Generally, for an instrument with mechanical slits, higher resolution.