PHY 2054 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Diffraction Grating, Spectroscopy
Document Summary
Spectroscopy is the science of measuring the wavelengths of atomic and molecular emissions. Atomic elements in the periodic table emit light at certain, well-defined ______ when excited by light, electricity, or collisions. wavelengths. Because their bright fringes are distinct, diffraction gratings are an ideal tool for spectroscopy. If the light incident on a grating consists of two slightly different wavelengths, they will diffract at slightly different angles. If n is sufficiently large, two distinct fringes will appear on the screen. It is more practical to make reflection gratings, like a mirror with hundreds or thousands of narrow grooves cut into the surface. The grooves divide the surface into many parallel reflective stripes, which spread the wave. The interference pattern is exactly the same as the pattern of light transmitted through n parallel slits. The calculations determined for the diffraction grating applies to reflection gratings as well as to transmission gratings.
