Within the past few decades, the application of light scattering techniques to a broad range of scientific disciplines has increased significantly, especially in the field of analytical chemistry. The resulting interest in and use of light scattering methods suggests the need for an easily understood introduction and review of material for those new to the method as well as for current users in need of a refresher. In many respects, the theory and its applications may appear so overwhelming for many studying the field for the first time, that they rarely can spend the time just needed to understand the basic measurements and their interpretations. A variety of applications in analytical chemistry especially have resulted in a greater understanding of many of the macromolecular processes themselves from molar mass distributions, to the macromolecular interactions responsible for aggregation processes, to determinations of structure and function. The use of such analytical processes to obtain a better understanding of nanoparticle structure and function has become almost universal.

在过去的几十年中，光散射技术在广泛的科学学科中的应用显着增加，尤其是在分析化学领域。由此产生的对光散射方法的兴趣和使用表明，需要为那些不熟悉该方法的人以及需要复习的当前用户提供易于理解的介绍和材料审查。在许多方面，对于许多第一次研究该领域的人来说，该理论及其应用可能显得势不可挡，以至于他们很少能花时间来理解基本测量及其解释。分析化学中的各种应用尤其使人们对摩尔质量分布中的许多大分子过程本身有了更深入的了解，到负责聚集过程的大分子相互作用，到结构和功能的确定。使用这种分析过程来更好地了解纳米粒子的结构和功能已变得几乎普遍。