Chemistry - Atomic Spectra

quantum

energy wave of a specific wavelength or frequency

what is the spectrum of visible (ROYGBV) light?

700 nm - 400 nm

The left end of the electromagnetic spectrum has what three things?

1. Longest wavelength

2. Lowest frequency

3. Lowest energy

the right end of the electromagnetic spectrum has what three things?

1. Shortest wavelength

2. highest frequency

3. highest energy

Frequency

the number of cycles (waves) per second

Wavelength

distance of a wave measured from crest to crest from trough to trough

continuous spectrum (visible spectrum)

white light when broken up into its colour components via a prism or spectrophotometer shows continuous blending of colours

each wavelength in the continuous spectrum is how many quantum?

300 quantum

Line spectrum

elements only emit certain wavelengths of visible light when they get “excited” which can be seen using a spectrophotometer or prism

ground state

an atom with all of its electrons occupying the lowest energy level

excited state

when an atom absorbs a quantum of energy it causes electrons to jump to a higher orbital

electrons emitting light

when electrons jump back down to its lower orbital, it releases the same quantum of energy that it absorbed