ELECTROMAGNETIC

RADIATION
Our ideas about the arrangements of electrons in atoms have evolved slowly. Much of
the information has been derived from atomic emission spectra. These are the bright
lines, or bands, produced on photographic film by radiation that has passed through a
refracting glass prism after being emitted from electrically or thermally excited atoms.
To help us understand the nature of atomic spectra, we first describe electromagnetic
radiation.
All types of electromagnetic radiation, or radiant energy, can be described in the terminology
of waves. To help characterize any wave, we specify its wavelength (or its frequency). Let’s use
a familiar kind of wave, that on the surface of water (Figure 4-12), to illustrate these terms. The
significant feature of wave motion is its repetitive nature. The wavelength, l (Greek letter
“lambda”), is the distance between any two adjacent identical points of the wave, for instance,
two adjacent crests. The frequency is the number of wave crests passing a given point per
unit time; it is represented by the symbol n (Greek letter “nu”) and is usually expressed in cycles
per second or, more commonly, simply as 1/s or s21 with “cycles” understood. For a wave that
is “traveling” at some speed, the wavelength and the frequency are related to each other by
Aluminum is the most abundant
metal in the earth’s crust (7.5%