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5.8: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    66459
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    absorption spectrum
    a series or pattern of dark lines superimposed on a continuous spectrum
    blackbody
    an idealized object that absorbs all electromagnetic energy that falls onto it
    continuous spectrum
    a spectrum of light composed of radiation of a continuous range of wavelengths or colors, rather than only certain discrete wavelengths
    dispersion
    separation of different wavelengths of white light through refraction of different amounts
    Doppler effect
    the apparent change in wavelength or frequency of the radiation from a source due to its relative motion away from or toward the observer
    electromagnetic radiation
    radiation consisting of waves propagated through regularly varying electric and magnetic fields and traveling at the speed of light
    electromagnetic spectrum
    the whole array or family of electromagnetic waves, from radio to gamma rays
    emission spectrum
    a series or pattern of bright lines superimposed on a continuous spectrum
    energy flux
    the amount of energy passing through a unit area (for example, 1 square meter) per second; the units of flux are watts per square meter
    energy level
    a particular level, or amount, of energy possessed by an atom or ion above the energy it possesses in its least energetic state; also used to refer to the states of energy an electron can have in an atom
    excitation
    the process of giving an atom or an ion an amount of energy greater than it has in its lowest energy (ground) state
    frequency
    the number of waves that cross a given point per unit time (in radiation)
    gamma rays
    photons (of electromagnetic radiation) of energy with wavelengths no longer than 0.01 nanometer; the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation
    ground state
    the lowest energy state of an atom
    infrared
    electromagnetic radiation of wavelength 103–106 nanometers; longer than the longest (red) wavelengths that can be perceived by the eye, but shorter than radio wavelengths
    inverse square law
    (for light) the amount of energy (light) flowing through a given area in a given time decreases in proportion to the square of the distance from the source of energy or light
    ion
    an atom that has become electrically charged by the addition or loss of one or more electrons
    ionization
    the process by which an atom gains or loses electrons
    isotope
    any of two or more forms of the same element whose atoms have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
    microwave
    electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths from 1 millimeter to 1 meter; longer than infrared but shorter than radio waves
    nucleus (of an atom)
    the massive part of an atom, composed mostly of protons and neutrons, and about which the electrons revolve
    photon
    a discrete unit (or “packet”) of electromagnetic energy
    radial velocity
    motion toward or away from the observer; the component of relative velocity that lies in the line of sight
    radio waves
    all electromagnetic waves longer than microwaves, including radar waves and AM radio waves
    spectrometer
    an instrument for obtaining a spectrum; in astronomy, usually attached to a telescope to record the spectrum of a star, galaxy, or other astronomical object
    Stefan-Boltzmann law
    a formula from which the rate at which a blackbody radiates energy can be computed; the total rate of energy emission from a unit area of a blackbody is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature: F = σT4
    ultraviolet
    electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths 10 to 400 nanometers; shorter than the shortest visible wavelengths
    visible light
    electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths of roughly 400–700 nanometers; visible to the human eye
    wavelength
    the distance from crest to crest or trough to trough in a wave
    Wien’s law
    formula that relates the temperature of a blackbody to the wavelength at which it emits the greatest intensity of radiation
    X-rays
    electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.01 nanometer and 20 nanometers; intermediate between those of ultraviolet radiation and gamma rays

    This page titled 5.8: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax.

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