Astronomy › Section E · Radiation and spectra › Topic E.5
Formation of spectral lines
Bohr's energy levels explain exactly why atoms absorb and emit only certain colours. They also let astronomers read a gas's temperature and how strongly it is ionised from the lines it shows.
In this topic
- From energy levels to lines
- Hydrogen's energy levels
- Worked example: hydrogen's red line
- Series of lines
- Worked example: a line we cannot see
- Excitation and de-excitation
- Why absorption lines stay dark
- Ionisation
- Lines as a thermometer
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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