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Three types of Spectra:
This
is a continuous spectra. The colors blend into one another. Sources
for this type of spectra are the sun or an incandescent light bulb-
the kind we normally see in our houses. The colors of the spectra are
ROYGBIV and can happen either way around but always in the same
order.
This
is a bright line spectra. It shows patterns of bright lines, rather
than a continuous spectrum. It can show a pattern of lines that will
tell us what elements are making up the light source. We can use
special lamps to see an element's special pattern. Bright line
spectra sources include fluorescent lights.
This
is a dark line spectra. It is formed by a gas coming in between the
light source and the prism. It is a 'negative' version of a bright
line spectra. We can use dark line spectra in the same way as we use
bright line spectra. Sources include the sun and stars.We can
identify the elements in stars, see a star's age, and how hot the
star is. The more lines we can see- the older and cooler the star. We
can also tell if the star is moving away from us or coming towards us
by looking at the 'shifting' of the lines towards either the blue or
the red end of the spectrum