Why does the emission spectrum of an atom or molecule depends on its arrangement of electrons?

The emission spectrum of an atom or molecule depends on its arrangement of electrons because electrons in different orbits possess varying energy and can only release discrete quantities of energy as they move between available orbits.

How does the structure of an atom affect its placement on the periodic table?

Explanation: The number of outer shell electrons determines the group number of the element. The number of occupied principle quantum shells (energy levels) determines the period of the element. The proton number determines the element itself and its position.

How did emission spectra of gases affect our understanding of atomic structure?

How did emission spectra of gases affect our understanding of atomic structure? Emission spectra showed that electrons only emit radiation at certain wavelengths and frequencies, and, therefore, energy levels. This indicating that electrons could be found in specific energy levels or orbits.

How does the structure of an atom explain atomic spectra?

When atoms are excited they emit light of certain wavelengths which correspond to different colors. The emitted light can be observed as a series of colored lines with dark spaces in between; this series of colored lines is called a line or atomic spectra. Each element produces a unique set of spectral lines.

Why are emission spectra different for every element?

Each elements emission spectrum is distinct because each element has a different set of electron energy levels. The emission lines correspond to the differences between various pairs of the many energy levels. The lines (photons) are emitted as electrons fall from higher energy orbitals to lower energies.

Why are the emission spectra for elements different?

Different elements have different spectra because they have different numbers of protons, and different numbers and arrangements of electrons. The differences in spectra reflect the differences in the amount of energy that the atoms absorb or give off when their electrons move between energy levels.

How do charges affect atomic radius?

As the positive charge of the atom increases the atomic radius decreases because the positive charge will bring electrons closer to the nucleus. But, the Atomic radius becomes larger as you move down the periodic table in a group or column because it increases the number of energy levels.

What is the relationship between location of an element in the periodic table and the anion it forms?

That is, group 1 elements form 1+ ions; group 2 elements form 2+ ions, and so on. Moving from the far right to the left on the periodic table, elements often form anions with a negative charge equal to the number of groups moved left from the noble gases.

Why are the spectra for each element unique?

Why are line spectra different for each element?

As the energy levels have different values, each of the possible electron transitions within an atom will produce a photon with a different energy. As a result each produces photons with different energy and so the line spectra for different elements will be different.

Why is it possible to identify an element on the basis of its emission spectrum?

When an atom absorbs energy, its electrons jump to higher energy levels. Each transition has a specific energy difference. This collection of transitions makes up an emission spectrum. These emission spectra are as distinctive to each element as fingerprints are to people.

How does the emission spectrum work?

An atomic emission spectrum is the pattern of lines formed when light passes through a prism to separate it into the different frequencies of light it contains. Each of these spectral lines corresponds to a different electron transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state.