Light and Matter

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to Light and Matter, focusing on thermal radiation, atomic structure, spectral lines, and the Doppler Effect.

Wien’s Law

Describes the wavelength at which thermal radiation peaks, given by lmax ~ 1 / T.

Stefan’s Law

States that the total flux at all wavelengths is proportional to the fourth power of the temperature (Flux ~ T^4).

Spectral Lines

Unique patterns of absorption or emission lines that act as a fingerprint for each chemical element.

Isotope

Variants of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Ion

An atom or molecule with an unequal number of electrons and protons, resulting in a net charge.

Doppler Effect

The effect of relative motion on the observed wavelength or frequency, causing a blueshift if approaching and a redshift if receding.

Flux

The power per area, often expressed in Watts per square meter.

Hydrogen Spectrum

The emission and absorption lines corresponding to transitions of electrons in hydrogen atoms; includes the Lyman and Balmer series.

Electrical attraction

The force that binds electrons to the nucleus of an atom.

Neutral Atom

An atom with equal numbers of protons and electrons, resulting in no overall charge.