line spectrum

American  

noun

Physics.

1. an electromagnetic spectrum consisting of discrete lines, usually characteristic of excited atoms or molecules.

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line spectrum Scientific  

1. An image of colored lines or bands of light formed in optical spectroscopy, each line representing one of the frequencies in the spectrum of a light source. The light source is usually broken into individual bands by a prism or a diffraction grating.

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Etymology

Origin of line spectrum

First recorded in 1870–75

Compare meaning

How does line-spectrum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• continuous spectrum vs. line spectrum
• continuous vs. line spectrum

Example Sentences

The study, "CECILIA: Faint emission line spectrum of z~2-3 star-forming galaxies," was supported by NASA, the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2023

The line spectrum of hydrogen can be obtained by passing the light from an electrified tube of hydrogen gas through a prism.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Passing the light through a prism produces a line spectrum, indicating that this light is composed of photons of four visible wavelengths, as shown in Figure 6.13.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

As explained in Radiation and Spectra, we can use a star’s absorption line spectrum to determine what elements are present.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

The alumina filtered off, ignited, and tested in a radiant matter tube gave as good a crimson line spectrum as did that from the original sulphate.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 613, October 1, 1887 by Various