How can spectra tell us what things are made of?

Stars and planets are too far away for a human to touch, yet we know what they are made of. Spectra make this possible! Let’s investigate how.

Atomic emission: Part 2

Spectrum Tool. Identify the types of gas in the two lamps. Use the dropdown in the top tool to switch between them. Compare them to the gases in the bottom tool.

  1. What type of gas is in the metal halide bulb?
  2. What type of gas is in the vapor lamp?

Spectrum Notebook. Write your answers in the Atomic Line Emission section.

Source 1:
Lamps — Metal Halide Bulb
Brightness
Full-intensity spectrum backgroundTransparency increases or decreases based on chart intensity, hiding or revealing the background
Left axis ticks
Spectrum intensity vs wavelength chart
Bottom axis ticks
Wavelength (Microns)
Source 2:
 
Brightness
Full-intensity spectrum backgroundTransparency increases or decreases based on chart intensity, hiding or revealing the background
Left axis ticks
Spectrum intensity vs wavelength chart
Bottom axis ticks
Wavelength (Microns)
part 1
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