What is "atomic emission spectroscopy"

n. (context physics chemistry English) A form of analytical spectroscopy that measures the radiation emitted at specific wavelengths by the atoms in a very hot sample

Atomic emission spectrometry (AES) is a method of chemical analysis that uses the intensity of light emitted from a flame, plasma, arc, or spark at a particular wavelength to determine the quantity of an element in a sample. The wavelength of the atomic spectral line gives the identity of the element while the intensity of the emitted light is proportional to the number of atoms of the element.