Atomic spectral line

Have you ever seen a rainbow? Well, when you look at it, you can see different colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This is because when light is split into different colors, it shows the colors present in it.

Similarly, when we look at light coming from an atom, we can see different colors. An atom is made up of small particles like protons, neutrons, and electrons. These electrons revolve around the nucleus of an atom in different energy levels.

When we heat atoms or pass electricity through them, these electrons jump from one energy level to another. But they cannot stay in the intermediate levels, so they release the excess energy in the form of light. This light is made up of different colors or wavelengths, just like the colors in a rainbow.

Each type of atom, like hydrogen, helium, lithium, or sodium, has its own unique set of energy levels that its electrons can jump between. This means that each type of atom produces its own unique set of colors or wavelengths when it releases energy in the form of light.

These specific colors made by the atoms are called atomic spectral lines. Scientists can measure these lines and use them to identify what kind of atom is present in a substance or even in space. Just like how you can tell what kind of color is present in a rainbow by looking at it, scientists can determine what kind of atoms are present in a substance by looking at their unique set of spectral lines.