Detektierbare

Detektierbare is a German adjective meaning able to be detected, or in English, detectable. It is used to describe phenomena, signals, or substances that can be observed, identified, or measured with available instruments under given conditions. The term is often contrasted with undetektierbar (not detectable), emphasizing detection limits and instrumental sensitivity.

Etymology and usage: The word combines detektieren (to detect) with the suffix -bar, indicating capability. In scientific writing, detektierbare describes what can be observed or measured, acknowledging that detection depends on instrument performance, background noise, and experimental design. It is common in physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and related fields when stating that a signal or marker is within the detectable range of current methods.

Contexts and examples: In physics, one might refer to detektierbare Signale in a detector, or detektierbare Ereignisse at a given energy. In chemistry or biomedicine, researchers discuss detektierbare Spuren or detektierbare Biomarker at certain concentrations. The concept is closely related to detection threshold, detection limit, and sensitivity, all of which influence whether a phenomenon is considered detectable in practice.

Linguistic note: Detektierbare is the inflected adjectival form used before a noun (e.g., detektierbare Signale). As a base form, detektierbar describes something that can be detected.

See also: detectability, detection limit, sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, instrumentation, experimental physics.