Atomic Emission Spectra

Have you ever wondered how light is produced in the glowing tubes of neon
signs? The process illustrates another phenomenon that cannot be explained
by the wave model of light. The light of the neon sign is produced by pass-
ing electricity through a tube filled with neon gas. Neon atoms in the tube
absorb energy and become excited. These excited and unstable atoms then
release energy by emitting light. If the light emitted by the neon is passed
through a glass prism, neon’s atomic emission spectrum is produced. The
atomic emission spectrum of an element is the set of frequencies of the elec-
tromagnetic waves emitted by atoms of the element. Neon’s atomic emission
spectrum consists of several individual lines of color, not a continuous range
of colors as seen in the visible spectrum.
Each element’s atomic emission spectrum is unique and can be used to deter-
mine if that element is part of an unknown compound. For example, when a
platinum wire is dipped into a strontium nitrate solution and then inserted into
a burner flame, the strontium atoms emit a characteristic red color. You can
perform a series of flame tests yourself by doing the miniLAB below.
Figure 5-9 on the following page shows an illustration of the characteris-
tic purple-pink glow produced by excited hydrogen atoms and the visible por-
tion of hydrogen’s emission spectrum responsible for producing the glow.
Note how the line nature of hydrogen’s atomic emission spectrum differs from
that of a continuous spectrum. To gain firsthand experience with types of line
spectra, you can perform the CHEMLAB at the end of this chapter.

miniLAB
Flame Tests Flame Test Results
Classifying When certain compounds are Compound Flame color
heated in a flame, they emit a distinctive color.
Lithium chloride
The color of the emitted light can be used to
identify the compound. Sodium chloride

Materials Bunsen burner; cotton swabs (6); dis- Potassium chloride

tilled water; crystals of lithium chloride, sodium
chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride,
strontium chloride, unknown
Procedure
1. Dip a cotton swab into the distilled water. Dip
the moistened swab into the lithium chloride
so that a few of the crystals stick to the cotton.
Put the crystals on the swab into the flame of
a Bunsen burner. Observe the color of the
flame and record it in your data table.
2. Repeat step 1 for each of the metallic chlorides
(sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium
chloride, and strontium chloride). Be sure to
record the color of each flame in your data
table.
3. Obtain a sample of unknown crystals from your
teacher. Repeat the procedure in step 1 using
Calcium chloride
Strontium chloride
Unknown
the unknown crystals. Record the color of the
flame produced by the unknown crystals in
your data table. Dispose of used cotton swabs
as directed by your teacher.
Analysis
1. Each of the known compounds tested contains
chlorine, yet each compound produced a flame
of a different color. Explain why this occurred.
2. How is the atomic emission spectrum of an ele-
ment related to these flame tests?
3. What is the identity of the unknown crystals?
Explain how you know.

5.1 Light and Quantized Energy 125