Transcript Slide 1

Emission Spectrum
Animation
Light and Energy
• Particles (photons) and waves at the same time!
c = f
• The greater f (frequency), the smaller 
(wavelength)
• The greater f, the higher the energy of the EM
radiation.
Energy = hf
h is Plank’s Constant
= 6.6262x10-34Js
Light and Energy
The electromagnetic spectrum
Energy and Frequency
• The higher the frequency, the
greater the energy
Which has higher energy – red or
blue light?
• Emission spectra
known for hundreds of
years
• Niels Bohr suggests a
reason – energy levels
• Electrons orbiting in
shells around the
nucleus
• Energy levels differ
from one another
Electrons and Light
• When an atom absorbs energy, electrons
are promoted to higher energy levels.
• When the atom releases the absorbed
energy, the electron falls back down to
lower energy levels and EM radiation is
given off (sometimes light)
“Too many photons for love, too
much electromagnetic radiation…”
© Copyright Michael Offutt 1988
http://bisontech.gfps.k12.mt.us/gfhs/teachers/jan_mader/Songbook.htm
Too Many Photons for Love
I went to a dance and saw her standing in the light.
She was so beautiful, I knew I had to meet her.
She had this look of intelligence and poise.
So, I figured out a novel way to greet her.
I just walked up and said…
There’s just too many photons for love.
Too much visible electromagnetic radiation.
Too many photons for love,
Too much subatomic excitation
I said now, so many people thought,
That light was just a wave.
And of course there were your usual particle
fanatics.
But the way that light behaved made it clear to all
They did something more than classical mechanics.
So they figured out that maybe light was like a
combo,
Bundles of energy that dance away the mambo.
But it’s almost midnight and this party’s getting stale.
Let’s find someplace dark,
And I’ll complete this quantum tale.
So we went to my place and sat and talked beside
the fire,
About how atoms give off photons,
When electrons make transitions,
Jumping from high levels down to lower ones,
Resulting in colourful emissions.
And as the fire flickered low,
I kept on relating how the world was filled with
atoms,
With electrons resonating.
Absorbing and emitting photons to disclose,
The beauty of a leaf, the colour of a rose.
There are only certain possibilities
• Electrons can only exist at discrete energy
levels (these are called orbitals)
• Therefore, in changing levels, only certain
amounts of energy can be released
• These amounts are unique to every
element
Emission Spectra are Unique
•
http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/elements/Elements.html
Visit the website and click on any element to
see its unique emission and absorption
spectra.
How are the lines of
the line spectrum
formed?
Spectrum
Excited Staten=4
UV
Excited Staten=3
Excited State unstable
and drops back down
Excited State
n=2
But only as far as
n = 2 this time
•Energy released as a photon
•Frequency proportional
to energy drop
V
i
s
i
b
l
e
IR
n=1
Ground State
Summary
• Electron normally in Ground State
• Energy supplied [ as heat or electricity]
• Electron jumps to higher energy level
• Now in Excited State
• Unstable
• Drops back to a lower level
• Energy that was absorbed to make the
jump up is now released as a photon
• Frequency depends on difference in
energy levels [ E2 - E1 = hf ]
h is Plank’s Constant and f is frequency
of light
• When electron falls to
n = 1 level gives UV Range
n = 2 level gives Visible Range
n = 3,4 or 5 levels gives IR Range