emission spectrum

n. The spectrum of bright lines, bands, or continuous radiation characteristic of and determined by a specific emitting substance subjected to a specific kind of excitation.

emission spectrum

n (General Physics) the continuous spectrum or pattern of bright lines or bands seen when the electromagnetic radiation emitted by a substance is passed into a spectrometer. The spectrum is characteristic of the emitting substance and the type of excitation to which it is subjected. Compare absorption spectrum

e·mis·sion spectrum

The pattern of dark lines and colors made when electromagnetic energy, such as light, passes through a substance and excites its atoms. The excited atoms give off energy in the form of light. Because each type of atom gives off light having a unique range of colors, the emission spectrum can be used to determine the substance's chemical composition.

Thesaurus

Noun

emission spectrum - spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a self-luminous sourcespectrum - an ordered array of the components of an emission or wave

emission spectrum

emission spectrum:

see spectrumspectrum,
arrangement or display of light or other form of radiation separated according to wavelength, frequency, energy, or some other property. Beams of charged particles can be separated into a spectrum according to mass in a mass spectrometer (see mass spectrograph).
..... Click the link for more information. .

emission spectrum

A spectrum formed by emission of electromagnetic radiation by matter. Energy has first to be supplied, either as heat (high temperature) or by some other mechanism such as absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the matter or by impact of electrons. The energy raises the atoms or molecules to higher energy levels. In a simple example, the electron in a hydrogen atom may ‘jump’ from its normal orbit to one farther from the nucleus (see hydrogen spectrum). The emission spectrum of hydrogen, or any other emitting material, is formed by transitions from such excited states to lower energy states, the excess energy appearing in the form of photons with characteristic frequencies.

The emission spectrum therefore consists of a specific pattern of narrow peaks – emission lines – that occur at these frequencies. These lines may be superimposed on a continuum, but not necessarily so. Emission lines can occur in stellar spectra if, for example, the star is surrounded by a hot shell of diffuse gas. They also occur, for example, in the spectra of emission nebulae, the interstellar medium (see molecular-line radio astronomy), and quasars. See also absorption spectrum; excitation.

emission spectrum

[i′mish·ən ‚spek·trəm] (spectroscopy) Electromagnetic spectrum produced when radiations from any emitting source, excited by any of various forms of energy, are dispersed.

emission spectrum

emission spectrum

emission spectrum

e·mis·sion spectrum

emission spectrum

emission spectrum:

emission spectrum

emission spectrum

emission spectrum

Words related to emission spectrum

noun spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a self-luminous source

Related Words