IMAGE. A hand-held spectroscope.
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A hand-held spectroscope contains a diffraction grating that separates electromagnetic radiation into its component wavelengths. The spectroscope can observe either absorption or emission spectra.
White light, one type of electromagnetic energy, is composed of all colors of visible light. When a substance or solution absorbs some wavelengths of white light, the substance or solution has color. The spectroscope can be used to investigate which wavelengths of light a sample is absorbing.
An atom can be excited from a lower energy level to a higher energy level by acquiring energy from an electrical discharge. When the atom moves back to a lower energy level, it emits energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Since an atom has a specific set of energy levels, exact amounts of energy are released when atoms fall to lower energy levels. When the wavelengths of emitted light are separated using a spectroscope, lines may be seen in the visible region of light that correspond to these transitions.
As always, safety glasses should be worn. The glasses
will provide protection for your eyes from UV light that emanates from the
discharge tubes.
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