Question

These spectra are from the same element. Which is an emission spectrum, which an absorption spectrum?

Answer 1

Answer:

D. Top is emission; bottom absorption.

Explanation:

Emission and spectrum of elements are due to the element absorbing or emitting wavelength of e-m energy. Elementary particles of elements can absorb energy from a ground state to enter an excited state, creating an absorption spectrum, or they can lose energy and fall back to a lower energy state, creating an emission spectrum. A simple rule to differentiate between an emission and an absorption spectrum is that: "all absorbed wavelength is emitted, but not all emitted wavelength is absorbed."

From the image, the lines indicates wavelengths. We can see that all of the wavelengths of the bottom absorption spectrum coincides with some of the wavelength of the upper emission wavelengths.