Overview
What kind of spectrum would you expect from a candlelight? From a fluorescent light? From the Moon? In this activity, you will practice using what we know about light spectra to determine if a light source shows what you expect. You will also get a glimpse of the information we can learn be examining spectrum graphs.
Equipment needed:
• Working computer with access to the internet
The spectrometer building activity below is optional, and requires materials found in most households. However, you may still investigate spectra without constructing the device.
The supplies needed for the optional spectrometer build are:
• DVD disk (used or not, but it will be cut to pieces)
• Spectrometer template found here.
• Stiff papercraft material—such as carboard from a cracker/cereal box, cardstock, file folder, report cover, etc. The material should be stiff but not too thick, so that you can fold it. The darker in color, the better.
• Tape (masking tape is best)
• Glue (craft gluestick is perfect)
• Scissors
• Sharp tool such as exacto knife or utility knife/razor blade
• Phone, tablet, etc. with camera for recording spectra. It is useful if the device is portable so you can find different light sources in different areas.
Share Findings
To share your findings, please find the appropriate Discussion Topic in the Lab forum on D2L. Then enter the answers to the following:
- Share an image of one spectrum you collected while doing part 1 of the lab.
- What type of spectrum does this image show? Does this confirm or invalidate Kirchhoff's laws of spectra formation? Give your reasoning.
Sample Solution