A continuous spectrum appears as a

smear of all colors in the visible spectrum.

A rainbow is an example.
An emission spectrum appears as lines
against a dark background.
An absorption spectrum appears as dark
lines against a continuous spectrum.
 prism: separates
white light into its
hot different λ’s.
object

A continuous spectrum is created by a

hot, glowing object such as an
incandescent light bulb.
 An emission spectrum is created by
glowing gas. The λ’s of the lines are
unique to the composition of the gas.
subtracted An absorption spectrum occurs when a
light
continuous spectrum passes through gas which
absorbs and reemits λ’s of light in all directions.

This subtraction of energy from the continuous

spectrum results in a darkening at particular λ’s,
the same ones that an emission spectrum from
the gas would show.
Note how the lines match. Both spectra indicate
the presence of the same gas.