Explain how absorption and emission lines are created in the atom.

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dasse9 · Accepted Answer

An emission line is produced by an atom in an excited energy state. When an electron jumps from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, energy will be released. And that is when absorption lines are produced. In order to go to a lower energy orbit, the electron must lose energy of a certain specific amount. The atom releases the energy in the form of a photon with that particular energy.
If an atom with an electron at the

E_{2}

orbit and wants to get to the lower

E_{1}

energy orbit, it gives off a photon with energy,

E = h v = E_{2} - E_{1}

The electron may reach the ground state in one jump or it may temporarily stop at one or more energy levels on the way, but it cannot stop somewhere between the energy levels.
An absorption line is produced when a photon of just the right energy is absorbed by an atom. When an electron absorbs enough amount of energy, then it will jump to a higher energy orbit. The size of the outward jumps made by the electrons is the same as that of the inward jumps. Therefore, the pattem of absorption lines is the same as the pattem of emission lines.
If an atom with electron in the E, orbit sees a photon with energy

E_{p h o t o n} = E_{2} - E_{1}

, the photon is absorbed and electron moves to

E_{2}

.

Explain how absorption and emission lines are created in the atom.

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