Table of Contents
- 1 Why do atoms have discrete spectral lines?
- 2 What causes the lines in the spectra?
- 3 Why do we get discrete spectrum instead of continuous spectrum?
- 4 What causes the dark lines in the absorption spectrum of an element to occur?
- 5 How did Bohr explain the line spectrum of hydrogen?
- 6 What produces a discrete or line spectrum of electromagnetic radiation?
Why do atoms have discrete spectral lines?
For our purposes, the key conclusion is this: each type of atom has its own unique pattern of electron orbits, and no two sets of orbits are exactly alike. This means that each type of atom shows its own unique set of spectral lines, produced by electrons moving between its unique set of orbits.
What causes the lines in the spectra?
Spectral lines are produced by transitions of electrons within atoms or ions. As the electrons move closer to or farther from the nucleus of an atom (or of an ion), energy in the form of light (or other radiation) is emitted or absorbed.…
What causes the spectrum of hydrogen to consist of discrete lines?
Lines in the spectrum were due to transitions in which an electron moved from a higher-energy orbit with a larger radius to a lower-energy orbit with smaller radius.
Why do we get discrete spectrum instead of continuous spectrum?
The electrons in an atom tend to be arranged in such a way that the energy of the atom is as low as possible. These energy levels of the electrons in atoms are quantized, meaning again that the electron must move from one energy level to another in discrete steps rather than continuously.
What causes the dark lines in the absorption spectrum of an element to occur?
An absorption spectrum occurs when light passes through a cold, dilute gas and atoms in the gas absorb at characteristic frequencies; since the re-emitted light is unlikely to be emitted in the same direction as the absorbed photon, this gives rise to dark lines (absence of light) in the spectrum.
What does the spectrum of an atom consists of?
atoms is known as a line spectrum, because the radiation (light) emitted consists of a series of sharp lines. The wavelengths of the lines are characteristic of the element and may form extremely complex patterns. The simplest spectra are those of atomic hydrogen and the alkali atoms (e.g., lithium, sodium,…
How did Bohr explain the line spectrum of hydrogen?
Bohr’s model explains the spectral lines of the hydrogen atomic emission spectrum. While the electron of the atom remains in the ground state, its energy is unchanged. When the atom absorbs one or more quanta of energy, the electron moves from the ground state orbit to an excited state orbit that is further away.
What produces a discrete or line spectrum of electromagnetic radiation?
Atoms of individual elements emit light at only specific wavelengths, producing a line spectrum rather than the continuous spectrum of all wavelengths produced by a hot object. Transitions from an excited state to a lower-energy state resulted in the emission of light with only a limited number of wavelengths.
What is discrete line spectra?
Discrete spectra are the observable result of the physics of atoms. There are two types of discrete spectra, emission (bright line spectra) and absorption (dark line spectra). Let’s try to understand where these two types of discrete spectra.