Question

Assume that the light emitted by a hot filament or hot metal bar is made to pass through a low density gas, and the emergent light is then analyzed in a spectrometer; what kind of spectrum is seen in this case?

a. continuous spectrum

b. absorption line spectrum

c. emission line spectrum

Answer 1

Ans. The light emitted by a hot filament or hot metal bar will be of a continuum spectrum and when that light made passes through a low-density gas and the light passes through will creates a dark line or absorption line spectrum according to Kirchoff's law of spectroscopy. Absorption lines occur due to a light of a wavelength that corresponds to energy differences in atomic orbits will be absorbed, boosting the electrons to a higher orbit. Therefore, in a spectrometer, the final spectrum will be an absorption line spectrum.