In: Physics
Every kind of atom, ion, and molecule produce a unique
spectral fingerprint.
true o false
Answer: True
Every atom, ion and molecule have a unique spectral fingerprint.
The "finger prints" are the emission spectrum or the absorption spectrum. The spectrum is the result of allowed quantum states for electrons in these entities(atoms, molecules or ions). The quantum states are determined by the environment (other electrons and nucleus in the entity) of the electron. The environment for electrons is not the same in any two entities.
For instance, an electron in hydrogen atom has environment consisting of just single proton. For an electron in helium atom the environment consist of one more electron and a nucleus containing two protons. The environment in which the electron is in H and He is clearly not the same. So the available quantum states that they have is not the same. Thus, there spectrum is not the same.
Even He and He+ do have the same environment. An He electron has one other electron and a nucleus. While, an He+ electron has the same nucleus as He, but its environment do not have one more electron. So, He and He+ have different available quantum states and therefore different spectrums.
For molecules, the environment of an electron consists of more that one nucleus and several electrons which are part of the same atom or the bonded atoms. The environment is very different from atoms which have just one nucleus.