Chapter 4: Radiation and Spectra

What details do you know about these stars?

What is light?

Waves

Particles

Waves have certain properties.

Amplitude

Waves have certain properties. 1. Amplitude Height

Waves have certain properties. 1. Amplitude Height 2. Wavelength Distance between crests

Waves have certain properties. 1. Amplitude Height 2. Wavelength () Distance between crests 3. Frequency (f) number of cycles per second (hertz)

f=c/

Waves have certain properties. 1. Amplitude Height 2. Wavelength () Distance between crests 3. Frequency (f) number of cycles per second (hertz) 4. Speed (c) distance wave covers over time

James Clerk Maxwell (1831 -1879) Found light was 2 coupled waves of electric and magnetic fields traveling at 186,000 mps.

Waves usually wave something. Ocean waves water Sound waves air Light - ???

Waves usually wave something. Ocean waves water Sound waves air Light - nothing

Wavelength determines color and energy. Shorter wavelengths (bluer) have higher energy than longer wavelengths (redder).

Spectrometer shows spectrum of light

White combination of all colors Black absence of all colors

Inverse square law - Light intensity falls as the square of distance.

Photons

Einstein found something different.

Photons

Light behaved as a particle (photon).

Photons

Quantum mechanics Light behaves as either wave or particle (photon) depending on how you look at it.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Visible light not the only form of radiation

We can tune into various wavelengths.

Stefan-Boltzmann law - The hotter an object, the more total radiation.

E T

Link Link

Wiens Law - The hotter an object, the lower the peak wavelength.

max

3,000,000 nanometers T

White light contains all colors.

Suns spectrum

Dark lines present absorption line spectrum

Colors present emission line spectrum

Atomic structure
Contained in nucleus Protons Positive charge, has mass, determines atom.
Neutrons Neutral charge, has mass Orbiting nucleus Electrons Negative charge, no mass

Atomic structure

Isotopes same # of protons & electrons, different # of neutrons.

Atomic structure

Bohrs atom electrons only in specified orbits.

Atomic structure
When electrons gain right amount of energy, they move from ground state to excited state.

Atomic structure
When electrons go from excited state to ground state, they emit that same amount of energy.

Atomic structure

Atomic structure

Composition can be determined by analyzing light from source.

Doppler Effect

Doppler shift - With relative motion, wavelengths can be shifted.

Doppler Effect

With relative motion, wavelengths can be shifted.

Doppler Effect

It also works with light.

Question
What is the wavelength and amplitude of the following wave?

Question
What is light?
a) A wave b) A particle c) All of the above

Question
Which of the following information can you gather about a star by just looking at its light?
a) b) c) d) e) f) Its composition Its speed towards or away from us Its temperature Its distance Its age All of the above

Question
2 stars with identical diameters are the same distance away. One has a temperature of 5800K, the other has a temperature of 2900K. What can you say about the 2 brightness's?
a) b) c) d) The two must have the same brightness The star at 5800K is twice as bright as the 2900K star. The star at 5800K is 4 times as bright as the 2900K star. The star at 5800K is 16 times as bright as the 2900K star.

Question
2 stars with identical diameters are both 5800K. One is 1000 light years away, the other is 2000 light years away. What can you say about the 2 brightness's?
a) b) c) The star at 1000 light years is twice as bright as the 2000 light year star. The star at 2000 light years is twice as bright as the 1000 light year star. The star at 1000 light years is 4-times as bright as the 2000 light year star. The star at 2000 light years is 4-times as bright as the 1000 light year star. The two must have the same brightness

d)
e)

Question
A police radar gun cannot detect the speed of your car traveling in a circle around the police car. Why not?

Question
Water faucets are often labeled with a red dot for hot water and a blue dot for cold water. Would Wien be happy with this?

Question
The planet Jupiter appears yellow and Mars is red. Does this mean that Mars is cooler than Jupiter? Why or why not?

Question
You are listening to your favorite radio station. What spectrum of energy are your ears picking up?
a) b) c) d) Radio waves X-rays Gamma rays None of the above