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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Science concepts. The student knows that relationships exist between the structure and properties of matter.

The bright lines in the diagram are the emission lines for each element. The more electrons an element has, the more spectral lines can be produced.

 
Emission Spectrum for Hydrogen

The atomic emission spectrum of hydrogen
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emission_spectrum-H.svg

Emission Spectrum for Iron

The atomic emission spectrum of iron
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emission_spectrum-Fe.svg

 

a negatively charged subatomic particle that can be either free (not attached to any atom) or bound to the nucleus of an atom, and having negligible mass; determines the chemical reactivity of an element

the number of waves that pass a given point in a specified amount of time (usually 1 second), measured in hertz (Hz); the pitch of a sound or the color of light

substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed of microscopic particles

fundamental subatomic particle that carries the electromagnetic force

characteristic of matter that can be used to identify particular materials

something arranged in a definite pattern of organization; the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body; the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other

Research

Körhasan, Nilüfer Didiş, and Lu Wang. "Students’ Mental Models of Atomic Spectra." Chemistry Education Research and Practice 17, no. 4 (2016):743–755. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6rp00051g

Summary:  Mental modeling, which is a theory about knowledge organization, has been recently studied by science educators to examine students' understanding of scientific concepts. This qualitative study investigates undergraduate students' mental models of atomic spectra. 

Research

W-Ü Lydia Tchang-Brillet, Meftah, A., Deghiche, D., Wyart, J., Balança, C., Champion, N., & Blaess, C. (2019). Laboratory studies of vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) emission spectra of heavy element ions. International Astronomical Union.Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 15, 84-88. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921320000307

Summary:  Reliable spectroscopic data are needed for interpretation and modeling of observed astrophysical plasmas. For heavy element ions, which have complex spectra, experimental data are rather incomplete. To provide valuable fundamental quantities, such as precise wavelengths, level energies and semi-empirical transition probabilities, the authors are carrying out laboratory studies of high-resolution VUV emission spectra of moderately charged ions of transition metals and rare earth elements. Experimental and theoretical methods are summarized. Examples of studies are described.