
This means that atoms of a specific element absorb radiation only at specific wavelengths and radiation that does not have these wavelengths is not absorbed by the element at all. For each element, the positions of its emission lines are exactly the same as the positions of its absorption lines. Each chemical element has its own characteristic emission spectrum. Positions of the emission lines tell us which wavelengths of the radiation are emitted by the gas. This spectrum is seen as colorful lines on the black background (see Figure 6.15 and Figure 6.16). The emission spectrum is observed when light is emitted by a gas. The missing wavelengths tell us which wavelengths of the radiation are absorbed by the gas.

This spectrum appears as black lines that occur only at certain wavelengths on the background of the continuous spectrum of white light ( Figure 6.13).

An absorption spectrum is observed when light passes through a gas. The difference between the absorption spectrum and the emission spectrum is explained in Figure 6.14. During 1854–1861, Gustav Kirchhoff and Robert Bunsen discovered that for the various chemical elements, the line emission spectrum of an element exactly matches its line absorption spectrum. Solar absorption lines are called Fraunhofer lines after Joseph von Fraunhofer, who accurately measured their wavelengths. When we use a prism to analyze white light coming from the sun, several dark lines in the solar spectrum are observed ( Figure 6.13). To understand the specifics of Bohr’s model, we must first review the nineteenth-century discoveries that prompted its formulation. The model has a special place in the history of physics because it introduced an early quantum theory, which brought about new developments in scientific thought and later culminated in the development of quantum mechanics. Historically, Bohr’s model of the hydrogen atom is the very first model of atomic structure that correctly explained the radiation spectra of atomic hydrogen. Summarize how Bohr’s quantum model of the hydrogen atom explains the radiation spectrum of atomic hydrogen.Describe the postulates of the early quantum theory for the hydrogen atom.Explain the atomic structure of hydrogen.Describe the Rutherford gold foil experiment and the discovery of the atomic nucleus.Explain the difference between the absorption spectrum and the emission spectrum of radiation emitted by atoms.I think this is when white light is used that you get an Absorption Spectra.By the end of this section, you will be able to: All the colors of the Absorption Spectra do make it kind of confusing. And these are being absorbed (with emphasis on blue). Actually, if you just burned hydrogen and looked at its spectra, you would get the Emission Spectra and not the Absorption Spectra, and this Emission Spectra would only show the bunch of blue lines, one purple line, and one red line. All the other colors shown are just part of the natural light being shown down on the element. This is the color that will be the opposite of the flame color on the color wheel. Remember, always look at the color area on the rainbow that is blacked out the most.

So if blue is being absorbed, the opposite color would be transmitted and this color is orange. However, there are MORE dark lines in the blue region. If you look at the lines for hydrogen blue, purple, and red are being absorbed. Therefore, all the other colors would be absorbed. (This would be orange.) The element hydrogen turns orange when being burned and this color is transmitted to us. This means that if there is a big dark band where blue would be, then the opposite color to blue on the color wheel is being transmitted. You are supposed to look at the dark areas of the absorption spectra and those dark areas indicate that the color which would be there is being absorbed. I think both the absorption and emission lines are showing which colors are being absorbed.
