College Essay on
Atomic Spectrum
The
Atomic Spectrum is a series of lines of color created when light from an excited
atom is passed through a prism. It is also recognized as a line spectrum. Each
particle has its own single atomic spectrum. In view of their peculiar nature,
atomic spectra are also mentioned to as the fingerprints of the elements.
“Gardner goes after pseudoscience and seeks to enlighten us about various
delusions and mistaken ideas in science. Now Martin Gardner adds a further
criticism: Rhine failed to expose cheating in experiments that he knew about.
Rhine thought that no good purpose would be served by exposing the maleficence
and those practicing it. Gardner argues in this essay, "The Obligation to
Disclose Fraud" that the contrary is a better rule, if for no other reason than
not to disclose fraud is to mislead later researchers. Gardner asks on page 19,
"Why then does science reject it?" The answer lies in Occam's Razor, one of the
truly beautiful ideas in science, which states that given alternative
explanations of phenomena, we must choose the one that is simplest. In this
regard I must mention again my (fanciful!) idea that it is not space-time that
is expanding, but matter that is contracting. I wonder if it is possible to
chose which is really correct, or if such a choice has any meaning--or if, as
Gardner's text might suggest, Occam's Razor might be applied.” (Gardner)
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The series of lines of color that an atom will present is associated to the
locations of the electrons on that atom and their affinity with the nucleus.
Atomic spectra were fundamental pieces of experimental information used by
chemists in the evolution of the electronic structures of atoms. By studying the
colors radiated by the different elements, it is likely to work backwards to the
sources of those colors. In this way it is practicable to ascertain the
electronic structures of the elements. Most of the basic information known today
about electronic structures was used from studying the light discharged by the
atoms. The procedure of exciting an atom comprises adding energy to the atom.
““Light has many crucial functions: sunlight is the source of all life on Earth;
the speed of light is fundamental to Einstein's theory of special relativity; a
constant exchange of photons within atoms helps keep matter stable. It's a
fascinating subject, and Clegg clearly explains the evolving theories of the
nature of light, covering the work of dozens of scientists. In a series of
refreshingly lively short biographies, he animates their varied lives and places
their research into historical context, as light's complex nature was gradually
revealed and some of its power harnessed. From photography to lasers, light has
opened up vast realms of technical possibilities--from fiber optic
communications to holographic storage of data.” (Clegg)
When a consecutive spectrum of electromagnetic radiation is passed through
sodium gas, special frequencies are absorbed which permit the atoms to move up
to higher energy levels. When the atom returns to a ground state it gives off an
EM wave of the same frequency as the primary photon, but evenly in all
directions, drastically shortening the strength of the radiation in the
direction of the incident photon. When the spectrum is analyzed these
frequencies show up as black lines in an otherwise continuous spectrum, and as
they conform exactly with the emission spectrum lines that can be used to
distinguish atoms.
“Using primarily spatial concepts, visualizations, and diagrams rather than
advanced math, Feynman clearly illustrates and explains many of the fundamental
aspects of QED in a way that the non-specialist can grasp. A true classic in the
field, and one that hasn't been equalled since in its clear and concise
treatment of the subject. QED is about the interaction of light and matter.
Feynman starts the explanation of QED by dealing with the partial reflection of
light onto 2 surfaces of glass, and uses arrow diagrams to make the explanation
easy to understand. He uses the arrow diagrams in the other lectures that
continue the discussion of QED's attempt to explain the interaction of photons
with matter. The last lecture deals with subatomic particles and QED's
relationship to the rest of physics.” (Faynman)
Works Cited
On the Wild Side by Martin Gardner
Light Years: The Extraordinary Story of Mankind's Fascination with Light by
Brian Clegg
QED by Richard Phillips Faynman
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