Light Waves, Electromagnetic Spectrum, and Atomic Models

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering wave properties, electromagnetic radiation, emission spectra, and the Bohr atomic model based on the lecture notes.

Amplitude

The essential height of a wave.

Wavelength ($\lambda$)

The distance between two consecutive crests of a wave.

Frequency ($\nu$)

The number of waves that occur in a certain period of time, measured in units of hertz ($\text{Hz}$).

Inverse Relationship (Light Waves)

The relationship between wavelength and frequency where as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Light that travels at a constant speed of roughly $3 \times 10^8\,\text{m/s}$, which is about $186,000\,\text{miles per second}$.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range containing all types of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light (ROYGBV), ultraviolet waves, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Gamma Rays

The type of light characterized by having the shortest wavelength, highest frequency, and highest energy.

Radio Waves

The type of light characterized by having the longest wavelength, lowest frequency, and lowest energy.

Atomic Emission Spectrum

The pattern of light produced by atoms when excited electrons release energy back off as light, appearing as colored bands separated by black spaces and serving as a fingerprint to identify elements.

Bohr Model

An atomic model developed by Niels Bohr in 1913 describing electrons moving in circular orbits around the nucleus, with each orbit possessing a fixed amount of energy.

Energy Level

A specific fixed amount of energy an electron can occupy within an orbit; electrons can transition between energy levels but cannot exist in between them.

Ground State

The lowest possible energy state in which an electron normally exists.

Excited State

The state an electron enters after absorbing energy and moving to a higher energy level, before releasing that energy to return to a lower energy level.