How would you compare and contrast the continuous spectrum and emission spectrum?
1 Answer
Feb 3, 2018
They are both emission spectra, but one has all wavelengths while the other has only specific wavelengths with gaps between them.
Explanation:
Continuous spectrum: a spectrum that has all wavelengths with no gaps over a wide range.
Solids at high temperatures, like the filament of an electric lamp, produce continuous spectra.
Emission spectrum: when an electron in an excited state moves to a lower energy level, it emits a certain amount of energy as photons.
The spectrum for this transition consists of lines because the energy levels are quantized.
The emission appears as coloured lines against a black background.
