Periodic Table

13Al 14Si 15P 16S 17Cl 18Ar 19K 20Ca 21Sc 22Ti 23V 24Cr 25Mn 26Fe 27Co 28Ni 29Cu 30Zn 31Ga 32Ge 33As 34Se 35Br 36Kr 37Rb 38Sr 39Y 40Zr 41Nb 42Mo 43Tc 44Ru 45Rh 46Pd 47Ag 48Cd 49In 50Sn 51Sb 52Te 53I 54Xe 55Cs 56Ba

72Hf 73Ta 74W 75Re 76Os 77Ir 78Pt 79Au 80Hg 81Tl 82Pb 83Bi 84Po 85At 86Rn 87Fr 88Ra

104Rf 105Db 106Sg 107Bh 108Hs 109Mt 110Ds 111Rg 112Cn 113Nh 114Fl 115Mc 116Lv 117Ts 118Og

57La 58Ce 59Pr 60Nd 61Pm 62Sm 63Eu 64Gd 65Tb 66Dy 67Ho 68Er 69Tm 70Yb 71Lu

89Ac 90Th 91Pa 92U 93Np 94Pu 95Am 96Cm 97Bk 98Cf 99Es 100Fm 101Md 102No 103Lr

X-ray peak intensities

Leverage this quick-reference table for exploring x-ray peak intensities across element series (K, L, M, N) to interpret spectra more accurately, distinguish elemental signals with greater clarity, and make more informed analytical decisions.

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Atomic number

Element

Series

K Peak Intensities

L Peak Intensities

M Peak Intensities

N Peak Intensities

表示中 1 へ 10 の 96 結果

Atomic number	Element	Series	K Peak Intensities
3	Lithium	K	Kα = 0.052
4	Beryllium	K	Kα = 0.109
5	Boron	K	Kα = 0.183
6	Carbon	K	Kα = 0.277
7	Nitrogen	K	Kα = 0.392
8	Oxygen	K	Kα = 0.525
9	Fluorine	K	Kα = 0.677
10	Neon	K	Kα = 0.848; Kβ = 0.857
11	Sodium	K	Kα = 1.041; Kβ = 1.067
12	Magnesium	K	Kα = 1.253; Kβ = 1.295

•••

Understanding K, L, M, and N series in EDS

In energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS/EDX), the K, L, M, and N series reveal how characteristic x-rays are generated during electron transitions within an atom.

Each series corresponds to the electron shell where the initial vacancy is created, providing a systematic way to interpret emission lines and identify elements.

Electron shell series

K series (n = 1): Indicates a vacancy in the innermost shell. These transitions require the highest energy and are most commonly used to analyze light to mid-weight elements.
L series (n = 2): Represents a vacancy in the second shell. These lines are typically used for mid- to heavy elements, where K-line excitation may be less accessible.
M series (n = 3): Indicates a vacancy in the third shell. These transitions are relevant for high–atomic number elements.
N series (n = 4): Corresponds to vacancies in the fourth shell and is used when analyzing the heaviest elements in the periodic table.

Greek letter sub-classifications

Each series is further divided using Greek letters (e.g., Kα, Kβ, Lα), which define the specific transition pathway and relative intensity of the emitted x-rays. Below is information outlining the sub-classifications.

Kα = The combined Kα¹, Kα² is used for Z less than 40. The Kα¹ only is used for the higher Z values.
N = The data set for the N-series peaks is not completely characterized by standardized methods.

K-series relative peak intensities

	18 ≤ Z < 59
Kα	100%
Kβ	10 – 20

At Z less than 18, the Kβ decreases in height, and becomes closer to, and is eventually not resolved from the Kα. At Z greater than 59, the Kβ increases in size and sub-peaks can be seen.

L-series relative peak intensities

	21 ≤ Z ≤ 34	35 < Z
Ll	200 – 6%	3.5 – 6%
Ln	70 – 3%	2 – 3%
Lα¹	100%	100%
Lβ¹	20 – 34%	35 – 52%
Lβ²	0%	0 – 20%
Lγ¹	0%	0 – 8%
Lγ²	0%	0 – 2%

At Z less than 21, the Lα¹ and Lβ¹ are 0 and Ll is the dominant peak. The Ll is not observable at a Z of 14 or less.

M-series relative peak intensities

	57 ≤ Z ≤ 70	70 < Z
Mz	140 – 13%	6 – 4.5%
Mα	100%	100%
Mβ	0 – 45%	45 – 57%
Mγ	20 – 3%	3.5 – 1%
M₂N₄	0 – 2%	0 – 2%

At Z less than 57, the Mα becomes 0% and the Mz is the dominant peak. The Mγ becomes 0 at Z < 50.