ASTR 3 Chapter 2-3: Astronomy 3 Textbook 2.3 Notes
Document Summary
Continuous spectra: emits radiation of all wavelengths, with intensity distribution described by blackbody curve corresponding to temperature. Hydrogen gas only emits a spectrum of a few bright lines on an otherwise dark background on the screen. In this cae, only emits a few emission lines, narrow slices of the continuous spectrum. Can alter intensity of lines for hydrogen, but can"t alter color (aka frequency/wavelength of light emitted). Thses series of emission lines called emission spectrum, is property of hydrogen. Each emission spectra is unique to an element, provides fingerprint. Also, sunlight split by prism shows near-continuuous spectrum interrupted by narrow dark lines. These lines are wavelengths of light absorbed by gases either in outer layers of sun or earth"s atmosphere, called absorption lines. Absorption lines in sun"s spectrum are referred to as fraunhofer lines. The absorption lines associated with a gas occur at precisely the same wavelengths as emission lines produced when gas is heated.
