What technique uses radio waves to depict the arrangement of carbon and hydrogen atoms?

The technique that uses radio waves to depict the arrangement of carbon and hydrogen atoms is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). NMR works by applying a strong magnetic field to a sample, which affects the magnetic properties of certain nuclei, particularly those of hydrogen and carbon. When radiofrequency radiation is applied, these nuclei resonate at specific frequencies, allowing for the detailed analysis of the molecular structure.

This resonance is sensitive to the environment around the carbon and hydrogen atoms, making NMR an invaluable tool for determining molecular architectures, identifying functional groups, and understanding the dynamics of molecules in solution. The outcome is a spectrum that reveals information about the number of hydrogen and carbon atoms, their connectivity, and how they interact within the molecule.

The other techniques mentioned are used for different purposes; for instance, X-ray crystallography is primarily used for determining the three-dimensional structure of crystals, mass spectrometry is employed for molecular weight determination and structural analysis, and chromatography serves for separating components in a mixture. These methods do not utilize the principles of radio waves to visualize molecular structures in the same way NMR does.