How is atomic emission spectroscopy done? Atomic emission spectroscopy (AER) is a process that records the emission of different electromagnetic wavelengths in order to determine the type and concentration of elements in a certain material. This process is carried out by first using an atomizer to convert the material into an aerosol. The aerosol is then heated up in order to excite the electrons in the atom, however, electrons do not remain in their excited state for very long and when they return to the ground state, they release energy in the form of photons (light waves). Since each individual element each emits a unique amount of energy when returning to ground state, the amount of energy emitted can be recorded and compared to determine exactly what elements make up the sample. Pretty cool, isn’t it?