Spectoscopy

Identifying Elements by Color

Elements can be Indentified by the light they emit

•Different elements emit different colors of light that can be separated out into “bands”. •These patterns of bands are used to identify elements

Why?

• Electrons around an atom can be found in different “orbitals”

• Each orbital has its own energy level• Orbitals – close to the nucleus = low energy– Far from nucleus = high

• When “energized” electrons can jump up to higher energy level orbtials

• When they move back down they give off some energy as light

• The colors of the light are different for different energy levels

Colors

• Light waves with low energy have long waves lengths

• Light energy with high energy have short wavelengths

• Different wavelengths make different colors