Nuclear magnetic resonance decoupling
When we look at tiny things like atoms, we find that they spin just like a top. Some atoms spin quickly while others spin slowly. Scientists use a fancy machine called a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer to study how atoms spin.
One of the cool things scientists can do with the NMR machine is called decoupling. Decoupling means they can make certain spinning atoms stop interfering with their neighbors.
Imagine if you had a bunch of tops spinning next to each other really fast. They might hit each other and mess up each other's spin. That's what happens with atoms too.
But with decoupling, scientists can make one specific top (or atom) spin on its own and not bother its neighbors. They use a special pulse to get that one atom to spin differently.
By doing this, scientists can study one atom at a time instead of all the atoms in a group. This makes it easier to learn about each atom separately.
One of the cool things scientists can do with the NMR machine is called decoupling. Decoupling means they can make certain spinning atoms stop interfering with their neighbors.
Imagine if you had a bunch of tops spinning next to each other really fast. They might hit each other and mess up each other's spin. That's what happens with atoms too.
But with decoupling, scientists can make one specific top (or atom) spin on its own and not bother its neighbors. They use a special pulse to get that one atom to spin differently.
By doing this, scientists can study one atom at a time instead of all the atoms in a group. This makes it easier to learn about each atom separately.