Why is the term nuclear used?
The term nuclear indicates that the magnetic moments of atomic nuclei are being observed. The analysis is performed at a nuclear level because the nuclei are spinning, creating a small magnetic dipole, similar to a bar magnet. The NMR experiment involves the movement of the net nuclear magnetic moment off the axis of alignment with the external magnetic field. NMR analyzers can be atom specific in that they can be tuned for hydrogen, fluorine, or phosphorous nuclei. This is possible as different nuclei have different observation frequencies in the presence of the same magnetic field.
