Spectral resolution describes the ability of a spectrometer to distinguish nearby wavelengths or frequencies. A common measure is the resolving power , where is the smallest wavelength separation distinguishable under a stated criterion.
At , a resolving power of corresponds to . A narrow atomic doublet may therefore appear as one feature in one instrument and as two lines in another. The instrument's response, source linewidth and signal-to-noise ratio all matter; detector sampling alone does not determine the true spectral resolution.
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Spectral resolution refers to the ability of an instrument to distinguish between different wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. It is a critical parameter in various fields, including spectroscopy, astronomy, and remote sensing, as it determines how finely a spectrum can be resolved. Spectral resolution is commonly defined in terms of the wavelength (or frequency) at which a spectrum can be divided into distinct components.