Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Question 1

What is found if white light is passed through a gaseous sample of an element?

Answer 1

It is found that the light that emerges has certain wavelengths missing, i.e. dark lines are observed in the spectrum

Question 2

What is an atomic absorption spectrum?

Answer 2

The light that emerges with certain wavelengths missing when white light is passed through a gaseous sample of an element

Question 3

What is the light that emerges with certain wavelengths missing when white light is passed through a gaseous sample of an element called?

Answer 3

An atomic absorption spectrum

Question 4

What is the absorption spectrum said to be like, in relation to an emission spectrum?

Answer 4

The absorption spectrum is like a photographic negative of an emission spectrum

Question 5

Explain why the absorption spectrum can be called a photographic negative of an emission spectrum.

Answer 5

This is because the atoms in the ground state absorb the same radiations as they emit in the excited state

Question 6

What does an emission spectrum consist of?

Answer 6

Coloured lines against a dark background

Question 7

What does an absorption spectrum consists of?

Answer 7

Dark lines against a coloured background