Notes 4.2.

3
Page 1
Section 4.2.3 – Absorption & Emission Spectra

Metal Vapour Lamps

Metal vapour lamps use a particular heated (gas) vapour element to emit light. Two of the
most common such lamps are the sodium vapour lamp and the mercury vapour lamp.

The mercury vapour lamp is a gas discharge lamp that uses an electric arc through vaporized
mercury to produce light. It is typically produces blue/white light as can be seen in Figure 1
below.

Figure 1 – Mercury vapour lamps & Mercury emission spectra

A sodium vapour lamp is also a gas-discharge lamp that uses sodium in an excited state to
produce light at a characteristic wavelength near 589 nm (yellow in colour), as can be seen in
Figure 2 below.

Figure 2 – Sodium vapour lamps & Sodium emission spectra

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 2
Emission Spectra
You would recall that white light can be dispersed through a prism to produce a continuous
spectrum ranging from violet to red and all the colours in between. Refer to Figure 3.

White light Prism Continuous Spectrum

Figure 3 – Continuous Spectrum

When a sample of an element is energised, either by electricity or heat, each atom gains energy.
In order to return to a stable state, they emit energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

An emission spectrum is the specific set of wavelengths produced by an element. The emission
spectrum can be observed by dispersing the light produced by a lamp. Refer to Figure 4.

Hot gas sample Prism Emission Spectrum

Figure 4 – Emission Spectrum

Each emission spectra line represents a colour (if in the visible spectrum) of particular wavelength
and frequency of light that has been emitted.

NB: An emission spectra consists of coloured lines upon a black background.

When white light is passed through a cooled elemental gas some wavelengths of light are
absorbed. An absorption spectrum is the specific set of wavelengths absorbed by an element.
Refer to Figure 5.

White light Cool gas sample Prism Absorption Spectrum

Figure 5 – Absorption Spectrum

Each absorption spectra line represents a colour (if in the visible spectrum) of particular
wavelength and frequency of light that has be absorbed.

NB: An absorption spectra consists of black lines upon a coloured background.

The field of science involved in the analysis of light spectrum is spectroscopy. It involves
separating the emitted light from an excited sample into its various spectral lines.

The combination of radiation wavelengths both emitted and absorbed is unique to each
element, much like an atomic fingerprint.

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 3
Example 1
The emission and absorption spectrum for Hydrogen is shown below in Figure 6.

Figure 6 – Absorption & Emission of Hydrogen

NB: The wavelengths absorbed by an element are the same as those emitted when the same
element is used in a vapour lamp.
When added together, the emission and absorption spectrum combine to produce the
continuous spectrum.

Electron Energy Levels

Emission and absorption spectra can be explained with a model of the atom in which electrons
occupy discrete energy levels.

In this model electrons can have only certain values of energy, according to the energy levels.
Absorption and emission of light is caused by the transition of electrons between energy levels:

• If an electron absorbs light then it will move up to a higher energy level

• If an electron emits light then it will move down to a lower energy level

This model was proposed by Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr Atomic Model

Niels Bohr proposed an atomic model with the following features:
1. Each atom consists of a number of possible states.
 These states have fixed or quantised energy levels
 Electrons rotate within these fixed states following Newtonian mechanics, but do
not lose electromagnetic energy

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 4

The various states or energy

levels can be represented as a
spectra series (left) or an orbital
view (above).

Figure 7 - Atomic energy level view of the spectral series of hydrogen

The first line (directed upwards) on the energy diagram indicates the energy received by an
electron which has been excited from its ground state to a higher excited state (ie. fourth
excited state)
All other lines (directed downwards) represent possible energy transitions from the fourth
excited state back to the ground state.

NB: Upwards arrows represent energy being absorbed by an electron.

Downwards arrow represents energy being emitted by an electron.

Task
List 5 possible energy transitions that an electron situated at the fourth excited state could
undergo in order to return to the ground state (use n = 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to label the various
transitions)

Eg. 1 possible transition would be:

n(5)  n(4)  n(3)  n(2)  n(1)

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 5

2. Electrons can transfer from one state/level to another.

 Energy must be absorbed in order to rise to a higher or excited state
 Energy must be released, in the form of an emitted photon, in order to return to
a lower state.
Ephoton = hf = E(state transition)

Figure 8a Figure 8b
Emission of light (photon) Absorption of light (photon)

Emission of light: Ephoton = hf = E = Einitial - Efinal

Absorption of light: Ephoton = hf = E = Efinal - Einitial

Example 2
From the spectra series shown in Figure 7, calculate the energy and resultant wavelength of the
photon:

a. Emitted when an electron “drops” from the second excited state to the ground state.
b. Required to “jump” an electron from the ground state to the first excited state.

Solutions:
a. Ephoton = ? E31 = E3 – E1
photon = ? = (-1.5eV) – (-13.6eV)
E3 = -1.5 eV = 12.1eV
E1 = -13.6 eV = 12.1  1.6  10-19 = 1.94  10-18 J
h = 6.6.3 x 10-34 Js
Ephoton = hf
= hc/photon
photon = hc/Ephoton
= (6.63  10-34  3.0  108)/(1.94  10-18)
= 1.02  10-7 m (or 102 nm)

b. Ephoton = ? E12 = E2 – E1
photon = ? = (-3.4eV) – (-13.6eV)
E1 = -13.6 eV = 10.2eV
E2 = -3.4 eV = 10.2  1.6  10-19 = 1.63  10-18 J
h = 6.6.3 x 10-34 Js
Ephoton = hf
= hc/photon
photon = hc/Ephoton
= (6.63  10-34  3.0  108)/(1.63  10-18)
= 1.22  10-7 m (or 122 nm)
VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd
Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 6
Exam Style Questions

Questions 1 and 2 relate to the following information.

The following figure shows the quantised energy levels of a mercury atom, relative to the ground
state.

Question 1.
On the diagram draw an arrow corresponding to the emission of a 3.9 eV photon.

E between two levels must equal 3.9 eV, so the transition must be from n=3 to n=1. The arrow
must point down since when an electron drops down to a lower energy level it emits a photon.

Question 2.
What is the highest frequency photon that can be emitted when an electron decays from the n = 3
level?

E = hf highest f corresponds to the highest E ie. from n=3 to n=0

F = E/h = 8.8/(4.14  10-15) = 2.13  1015 m
NB: Both E and h are using eV

2.1 x 1015 Hz

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 7
Questions 3 and 4 relate to the following information.
The following figure shows the quantised energy levels of a mercury atom, relative to the
ground state.

Question 3.
On the diagram draw an arrow corresponding to the emission of a 2.1 eV photon.

E between two levels must equal 2.1 eV, so the transition must be from n=3 to n=2. The arrow
must point down since when an electron drops down to a lower energy level it emits a photon.

Question 4.
What is the longest wavelength photon that can be emitted when an electron decays from the
n = 2 level?

E = hf = hc/
longest  means lowest E ie. from n=2 to n=1 (1.8 eV)
 = hc/E = (4.14  10-15 3.0  108)/1.8 = 6.9  10-7m
NB: Both E and h are using eV

6.9 x 10-7 m

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics
 Notes 4.2.3
Page 8
Questions 5 and 6 relate to the following information.
The following figure shows the quantised energy levels of a neon atom, relative to the ground
state, as used in a He-Ne laser. The lasing energy produces a 632.8 nm photon beam.

Question 5.
What is the energy, in eV, of a 632.8 nm photon?

E = hc/
= (4.14  10-15  3.0  108)/632.8  10-9
= 1.96 eV
NB: Both E and h are using eV

1.96 eV

Question 6.
On the energy level diagram draw an arrow which best corresponds to the emission of the
632.8 nm lasing photon.

On the diagram E between levels must equal 1.96 or approximately 2 eV, so the transition
must be between 20.7 and 18.7 eV. The arrow must point down since when an electron drops
down to a lower energy level it emits a photon.

VCE Physics Mr Mark Judd

Unit 4, Area of Study 2, Handout 3 Yr 12 Physics