CHEMISTRY-- relating spectral lines and energy?

Question

"Relate spectral lines and energy within an atom".
I think they want more than just that they are inversely proportional- I need to know what actually happens in the atom.
It's for a lab report (10th grade).
Please explain!
THANKS

As a reply to the first answerer (thank you!):
So the spectral lines are the "levels" in the atom that the electron jumps to and from?

Answer 1

Well, when you smack an atom upside the head with the right frequency of energy, you send one or more of its outer electrons to higher energy levels; you put them in what we call an "excited state". The frequency of light (energy) that you gotta grease it upside da head with varies with the atom you're talking about, and the electron transition you're trying to invoke. Nevertheless, realize that these transitions come from a specific amount of energy at a specific wavelength.

When the external energy ceases (i.e the atom can "relax") the electron(s) will fall to the normal ("Ground") state and will emit energy at the same wavelength (atomic emission) or sometimes at a different wavelength (atomic fluorescence).

Look up "spectroscopy" in a gen chem book for the lowdown...

Answer 2

Pardon. I'm writing for a 10th grader.

Spark-arc spectra come from an intense injection of energy into an atom. This means an electric spark, arc. The electrons skitter up to upper energy levels, and the electrons start to descend.

Energy levels are organized in quantum levels, so the descent from one down to another occurs in quanta. Electrons may descend from top to bottom ground states at once, or they may make jumps down between those "between." These transitions, one-to-another, or "top-to-bottom," occur with releases of characteristic amounts of energy. Just as it took energy to get the electrons up there, so they emit light energy while they're coming down. This is the spectrum. The lines represent particularly energies of emitted light. They appear in lines, because a prism refracts them into lines on a sheet of paper or onto a film.

Answer 3

Many elements emit spectral strains of function wavelength - truer, frequency - at the same time as in a gaseous state and excited with electrical energy. The each and each line is linked with a distinction in skill factor at the same time as an electron drops from an excited state to a a lot less excited one. in a large number of situations, the electron can drop into one in all 2 or extra suitable orbitals with the same or virtually the same skill. at the same time as the skill is the same, one line is produced, yet at the same time as the skill is particularly diverse, 2 or extra heavily-spaced strains are produced. The presence of a magnetic field can make small variations in those skill ranges and split strains that ought to in the different case were unmarried. it really is called the Zeeman effect (see hyperlink). certain sorts of atoms and electron configurations, consisting of sodium, generate their own inner magnetic fields and ought to produce double strains even interior the absence of an externally utilized magnetic field.