A rainbow is an example of a continuous spectrum. Most continuous spectra are from hot, dense objects like stars, planets, or moons. The continuous spectrum from these kinds of objects is also called a thermal spectrum, because hot, dense objects will emit electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths or colors.
What causes continuous spectrum?
Continuous spectra (also called thermal or blackbody spectra) arise from dense gases or solid objects which radiate heat . They emit radiation over a broad range of wavelengths, thus the spectra appear smooth and continuous.
Which of the following objects would be the most likely to emit a continuous spectrum?
A rainbow is an example of a continuous spectrum. Most continuous spectra are from hot, dense objects like stars, planets, or moons. The continuous spectrum from these kinds of objects is also called a thermal spectrum, because hot, dense objects will emit electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths or colors.
Does the sun produce a continuous spectrum?
The spectrum of the Sun appears as a continuous spectrum and is frequently represented as shown below. This type of spectrum is called an emission spectrum because what you are seeing is the direct radiation emitted by the source.
What kind of object produces an emission line spectrum?
Kirchoff’s Laws of Spectroscopy: A hot, dense object produces a continuous spectrum(blackbody spectrum). A hot, low-density gas produces an emission-line spectrum. A cool, dense gas produces an absorption-line spectrum.
What is an example of a continuous spectrum?
Continuous Spectrum. A rainbow is an example of a continuous spectrum. Here, the colors displayed are within the visible spectrum (between 380-760 nm). Light in this wavelength range is visible to the naked eye.
What is the difference between continuous and line spectrum?
A continuous spectrum consists of all wavelengths within a certain range . ... In contrast, a line spectrum only consists of a few wavelengths. This spectrum is made of a few colored lines on a dark background. The lines in spectra are caused by electrons moving in between energy levels.
What can we learn from a continuous spectrum?
A continuous spectrum contains many different colors , or wavelengths, with no gaps. Perfectly white light shined through a prism causes dispersion of the light, and we see a rainbow. ... Looking at absorption and emission spectra can tell you what elements are present in stars like the sun and other gasses.
What is the classic continuous spectrum?
The classical example of a continuous spectrum, from which the name is derived, is the part of the spectrum of the light emitted by excited atoms of hydrogen that is due to free electrons becoming bound to a hydrogen ion and emitting photons, which are smoothly spread over a wide range of wavelengths , in contrast to ...
What is meant by a continuous spectrum?
: a spectrum (as of light emitted by a white-hot lamp filament) having no apparent breaks or gaps throughout its wavelength range .
What kind of waves does the Sun emit?
All of the energy from the Sun that reaches the Earth arrives as solar radiation, part of a large collection of energy called the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Solar radiation includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared, radio waves , X-rays, and gamma rays. Radiation is one way to transfer heat.
Why does a solid have a continuous spectrum?
In solids atoms are not free but they are packed so tightly that their orbits overlap with each other. The energy changes in a particular atom are impacted by the other atoms in the surrounding . ... Therefore, solids give rise to continuous spectra.
What does an absorption spectrum look like?
Absorption lines are usually seen as dark lines, or lines of reduced intensity, on a continuous spectrum . This is seen in the spectra of stars, where gas (mostly hydrogen) in the outer layers of the star absorbs some of the light from the underlying thermal blackbody spectrum.
What type of spectrum is produced when a piece of metal is heated up and begins to glow?
Blackbody radiation is a familiar phenomenon: When the temperature of an object (such as a piece of metal) is increased, it begins to glow reddish orange, and, as the temperature is further increased, its glow becomes progressively whiter.
What does each line in the emission spectrum indicate?
An atomic emission spectrum is the pattern of lines formed when light passes through a prism to separate it into the different frequencies of light it contains. ... Each of these spectral lines corresponds to a different electron transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state .
What causes an element to have an emission line?
Emission lines occur when the electrons of an excited atom, element or molecule move between energy levels, returning towards the ground state . The spectral lines of a specific element or molecule at rest in a laboratory always occur at the same wavelengths.
