Infrared spectroscopy is a technique that uses the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to study vibrational transitions in molecules. When IR radiation is passed through a sample, some wavelengths are absorbed by the bonds and functional groups in the molecules, which causes the bonds to vibrate. The vibrational frequencies are characteristic of certain bonds and functional groups, allowing the presence of those structures to be determined. The positions and intensities of the absorption bands provide information about the molecular structure of the sample being analyzed.