As we discussed earlier, gas atoms have fewer interactions than atoms in solids. The spectra for gases show only a few energies while the spectra of solids contain a large number of energies. This observation is a hint that light emission from gases might be less complex than emission from solids. So, we will concentrate on gases in the next tutorial.
Use the spectroscope to observe the light emitted by the fluorescent lights. Notice that the fluorescent lights emit complex spectra that consist of bright lines of several energies and a continuous spectrum. The continuous spectrum is a result of high-energy light interacting with the coating found inside the lights. Based on what you have observed in this activity, what do you think is responsible for the discrete spectrum?
Identify the gas that creates this spectrum.
How do you know?