AY 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Quantum Leap, Emission Spectrum, Diffraction Grating
Document Summary
Spectroscopy: the scientific study of dispersed light, or light displayed as intensity versus wavelength. Two ways too disperse light: prism: triangular piece of glass, diffraction grating: hundreds of equally-spaced grooves. Most objects emit electromagnetic radiation, but not just at a single wavelength. The light we see is a combination of many wavelengths. Example: white light is undispersed, dispersed white light reveals a rainbow spectrum of colors. A rainbow spectrum is only one type of spectrum possible. * the three types of spectra arise under different conditions. Continuous spectrum: any hot, dense solid, liquid, or gas emits this kind of spectrum. A pure thermal radiation spectrum is of this type. Emission spectrum: a hot, low density gas viewed against a dark background has this kind of spectrum. Absorption spectrum: see this when you view a hot, dense, continuous source through cooler, lower density material. Absorption lines are the discrete missing colors of light.
