Question

Neon's gross color was orange. Individual spectral lines had colors ROY G BI.

Krypton's gross color was a whitish purple. Individual spectral lines had colors O G IV.

Xenon's gross color was white with a hint of blue. Individual spectral lines had colors ROY G BIV.

How do the gross colors of the gas tubes compare to the individual spectral lines? Does the gross color result from a combination of spectral lines or one intense line?

Answer 1

How do the gross colors of the gas tubes compare to the individual spectral lines?

Answer: When atoms or compounds absorb light of the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher energy levels. Colored compounds absorb visible (colored) light and this absorption is responsible for their color. If an object absorbs all colors but one, we see the color it does not absorb, this is complementary color. Different atoms absorb different amount of energy based on the difference in excited and ground state electronic energy levels, when an electron from excited state returns back to ground state and emits the energy in the form of visible colored photon (color depends on wavelength we know it).

but indivdual spectral lines are seperated in grating plate, our eye cannot differentiate that much difference in spectral lines.

Does the gross color result from a combination of spectral lines or one intense line?

Answer: gross color result from one intense line. but there are other frequncies also and are masked by most intense line.

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