Studying the line spectra produced by hot gases and absorbed by cooler gases allows us to identify the elements in stars. When a gas is very hot, it doesn’t emit all wavelengths of light.

This causes line emission spectra to be produced, as shown below. This is not a continuous spectrum as only light of specific frequencies and specific colours are produced. Different types of ...

In atomic emission spectroscopy, a sample is exposed to an electrical arc, a flame, or plasma to generate excited state atoms that are capable of emitting light. The unique emission spectrum of a ...