Webb image archive
Absorption of Light by Hydrogen
The relationship between a hydrogen atom and its absorption spectrum. (Left) A simple model of a hydrogen atom showing four of the many possible “jumps” the electron could mak...
- Date
- Dec 13, 2023
- Observatory
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Credit
- NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI
- Archive ID
- 01F8GFAYSYR6RP6EM83ZQ10XZ2
The relationship between a hydrogen atom and its absorption spectrum. (Left) A simple model of a hydrogen atom showing four of the many possible “jumps” the electron could make when it absorbs light. (Right) The relationship between the electron jumps and the specific wavelengths of light that the atom absorbs. An electron jumps from one energy level to another only when it absorbs a very specific wavelength of light (i.e., when it absorbs a photon with a specific energy). The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy, and the greater the jump. Wavelengths that are absorbed appear as black lines in the spectrum. This illustration shows a set of jumps that correspond to absorption of visible wavelengths (the Balmer Series).
Credits
Illustration
NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)