Spectral Lines
Types
Continuous Spectra
Emission Line Spectra
Absorption Line Spectra
A continuous spectrum spans large
regions of wavelength without interruption.
An energized low-density cloud of gas
emits light only at specific wavelengths.
Each different element has a different
emission line spectrum.
If we determine what lines are present,
we can determine what elements are
present. It is like a fingerprint.
If light from black body passes
through from cooler gas, then
it can often end up with absorption lines.
Examples
The SUN
Photosphere
Chromosphere
It is a top layer of the Sun and It is
thought of as the surface of the sun.
It produce a Continuous
Spectrum because it is
very hot and dense plasma.
The choromosphere is a much thinner atmosphere
of gas above the photosphere. It is only visible
during solar eclipses.
If we look at the spectrum during
a total eclipse of the Sun:
Emission-line Spectrum
If a spectrum of the sun
taken outside of eclipse:
Absorption-line Spectrum
Spectrum: A repsesentation of
the intensity of the diffrent wavelengths
of light from an object.
Spectroscopy or Spectrometry: The study
of the spectra of sources of light
Double Rainbow
Stars and planets
Spectroscopy began under Isaac Newton
Spectroscope: An instrument that
split light into a spectrum.
He blocked off most of the light coming into his room except for a small stream between some holes and board. He put a prism up to that and saw the component colors that came out on a screen
Newton discovered that "white"
light is actually composed of all
the colors of visible light.
Isaac Newton discovered that
a prism can split light into
component colors
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