The nephelometer measures the scattering coefficients of light due to particles. A higher scattering coefficient corresponds to a higher particle concentration. The aerosol scattering coefficient is an important parameter when estimating aerosol radiative forcing. Absorption and scattering depend on the wavelength of the incident light and the nephelometer measures the scattering coefficients at three different wavelengths: 450 nm (blue light), 525 nm (green light) and 635 nm (red light). Furthermore, the scattering is affected differently by particles of different size, shape and composition. For example, light with a shorter wavelength interacts more strongly with smaller particles. This means it is possible to get information about both how many particles, the type of particle and the particle's effect on the environment based on the measured scattering coefficients.