DIY Spectral Photometer

Has anyone ever considered using a Compact Disk as a cheap diffraction grating for Spectral Photometery/Radiometry?

(Please, no wisecracks like: "It'd only work with the CD of Pink Floyd **broken link removed**Dark Side of Moon album"!!)

Applications: Molecular Absorption Photometry (i.e. Gas Detection), Colorimetery, testing spectral power distribution of light sources.

It's where a product would be too expensive with a conventional diffraction grating, or narrowband optical filter.

Something like this?

Chapter 7: Light and Optics

Yes! Thanks!

I like the way they use a pair of razor blades together as a precision slit.

Google: CD compact disk spectrometer

There's a bunch out there.

ken