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Different elements release different photons of light when the electrons absorb energy and get excited. The excited electron jumps up to different energy levels and then returns to the ground state by releasing the extra energy that it just absorbed in the form of light. Different elements have different atoms with different amounts of electrons in different places. Because of this, the power of the photons they emit are different, causing different spectral lines. (the power of the photons makes a difference because the different colors of lines are caused by different intensities of the wavelength and frequency, but that's kind of another story.)
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agospectral lines are caused by processes involving atoms and their electrons, these processes occur with slightly different energies in each element, these different energies correspond to different wavelengths appearing as lines in the spectrum.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoEach element has a unique set (number and arrangement) of electrons and the energy differences between the electron orbits. This is due to the number of protons and the arrangement of the electrons.
It is primarily the electrons jumping from one energy level to another that provide the photons for the spectral lines.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe absorption and emission spectrum for each element is caused by the atom absorbing or emitting light (that is to say, energy). An atom can only absorb, or emit, light at specific packets of energy called "quanta", as the electron moves up (absorbs light and gains energy) or down (emits light and loses energy) from one specific energy level to the next. You can imagine these as variable sized steps.
Each specific energy packet has its own precise amount of energy. The higher the energy of the quantum of light, the higher the light frequency. That is, all the steps for each element is unique. By knowing what the energy levels - in other words, the frequency or color of the light - we can calculate what elements are involved.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoBecause, different elements react differently to heat. Elements produce different line spectra's because they are exposed to heat and they give off a colour or " line spectra".
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoDue to different atomic no. and different arrangements inside the atom, each element has different emission spectrum.
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Will the number of lines in an atoms spectra increase or decrease as the number of electrons in an atom increase?
increase
Why do stellar spectra have absorption lines?
Need a different, better answer.
Why is it that different light sources have different types of spectra?
Different atoms have a different number of electrons. This is why they show different spectra.
Can both Rutherford and Bohrs model of the atom explain spectra lines of elements?
Bohr model explain these spectra.
What do you call a light spectrum that is not continuous?
Discontinuous Spectra, Fraunhofer lines
How do Spectra from neutral atoms compared with spectra from ionized atoms of the same element?
have different sets of spectral lines. :) u got to love astronomy
Will the number of lines in an atoms spectra increase or decrease as the number of electrons in an atom increase?
increase
Why do stellar spectra have absorption lines?
Need a different, better answer.
Why is it that different light sources have different types of spectra?
Different atoms have a different number of electrons. This is why they show different spectra.
How are elements identified fro bright line spectra?
Each type of atom gives off a unique set of colors. The colored lines (or Spectral Lines ) are a kind of "signature" for the atoms
How are the elements identified from bright light line spectra?
Each type of atom gives off a unique set of colors. The colored lines (or Spectral Lines ) are a kind of "signature" for the atoms
How do scientists use different spectra to figure out the composition of the stars outer layer?
Different chemical elements emit (or absorb) certain specific frequencies of light. When the light from a star is split in to it's rainbow spectrum of light, certain parts of the spectrum will be black (in absorption spectra) or brighter (in emission spectra). By comparing these lines to the known emission and absorption spectra of elements, the composition of a stars atmosphere can be determined.
Can both Rutherford and Bohrs model of the atom explain spectra lines of elements?
Bohr model explain these spectra.
Why do atoms of an element give off unique atomic spectra?
The precise energy levels of each orbital vary depending on the nuclear charge. Since the spectral lines correspond to transitions between orbitals, each element will have different energies for these transitions, and therefore will have a unique spectrum.
Why are the hydrogen Balmer lines strong in the spectra of medium temperature stars and weak in the spectra of hot and cool stars?
Balmer lines are produced by colliding hydrogen atoms with electrons excited to 2nd energy level. Cool stars don't have enough collision to excite the electrons, hot stars have too much collision and excite the electrons beyond 2nd energy level.
Why was Moseley able to resolve the discrepancies in Mendeleev's table when Mendeleev could not?
Because by using the lines in the xray spectra of 38 different elements, he found that the lines were correlated to atomic number, not by atomic mass.
What do you call a light spectrum that is not continuous?
Discontinuous Spectra, Fraunhofer lines
