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Understanding Electromagnetic Energy and Spectra
Sep 10, 2024
Electromagnetic Energy and Line Spectra
Learning Objective
Distinguish between line and continuous emission spectra.
Continuous Emission Spectrum
Produced by solids, liquids, and condensed gases.
Example: Sun emits a wide range of light wavelengths, creating a continuous spectrum.
Can be separated into individual wavelengths using a prism.
Represents all wavelengths of visible light.
Line Spectrum
Produced when gas emits light under the influence of electrical energy.
Discrete wavelengths instead of continuous.
Examples: Sodium, Hydrogen, Calcium, and Mercury emit distinct line spectra.
Each line corresponds to a specific wavelength, not a range.
Hydrogen Line Spectrum
Hydrogen emits energy at very specific wavelengths.
Early 20th-century physicists studied why hydrogen emits at specific energy values.
Contributions by Physicists
Johann Balmer
:
Modeled the first four visible wavelengths of hydrogen.
Johannes Rydberg
:
Developed an equation to account for all of hydrogen's emissions.
Rydberg Equation
Formula: ( \frac{1}{\lambda} = R ( \frac{1}{n_1^2} - \frac{1}{n_2^2} ) )
( R ) is the Rydberg constant: ( 1.097 \times 10^7 \text{ m}^{-1} )
( n_1 ) and ( n_2 ) are integers, with ( n_2 > n_1 ).
The equation uses quantized integers to predict light emissions.
Important for the development of quantum mechanics and understanding electronic structures.
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