In flame atomic absorption spectrometry, the sample is nebulized and sucked into a burner, so that analyte elements can be atomized in a flame of a fuel gas, such as acetylene, and an oxidation gas, usually air. The burner is positioned in such a way that the flame region with the maximum atom concentration is in the ray path of the spectrometer. These atoms are able to absorb element-specific radiation. To this end, an element-specific lamp with a hollow cathode made of the element to be investigated is introduced into the ray path of an atomic absorption spectrometer with the atomization device and a detector. Depending on the concentration of the element to be determined in the sample, some of the radiation intensity of the hollow-cathode lamp is absorbed by the atoms formed. The detection system (often a photomultiplier or photodiode) measures the intensity of the non-attenuated radiation and the radiation after leaving the atomization device during the supply of a sample solution. The element concentration in the sample can then be calculated from the difference in the two intensities.