In X-ray fluorescence a source of X-rays is used to excite the atoms of an analyte in a sample. These excited-state atoms return to their ground state by emitting X-rays, the process we know as fluore...In X-ray fluorescence a source of X-rays is used to excite the atoms of an analyte in a sample. These excited-state atoms return to their ground state by emitting X-rays, the process we know as fluorescence. The wavelengths of these emission lines are characteristic of the elements that make up the sample; thus, atomic X-ray fluorescence is a useful method for both a qualitative analysis and a quantitative analysis.
