The light from a small amount of a particular chemical element, when heated in a flame, is found to consist of a
A) pattern of narrow, bright emissions at wavelengths that are specific to the element and different for each element.
B) continuous spectrum of light from which certain colors are missing or absorbed, as the absorbed colors are different for different elements.
C) pattern of narrow, bright emissions at specific wavelengths that are the same for all elements, except the relative intensities of the lines differ for different elements.
D) continuous spectrum of light whose peak wavelength is specific to the particular element.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The light from a heated chemical element displays a pattern of narrow, bright emission lines at specific wavelengths unique to each element, known as its emission spectrum. This is a fundamental principle in spectroscopy used for element identification.

The Light from a Small Amount of a Particular Chemical