PHYS.8.F

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The student is expected to investigate the emission spectra produced by various atoms and explain the relationship to the electromagnetic spectrum; and
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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Science concepts. The student knows the characteristics and behavior of waves.

The bright lines in the diagram are the emission lines for each element, shown against a background of the visible electromagnetic spectrum.

Emission spectrum of alkali metals (lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium) and alkaline earth metals (beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium)

BélaBéla, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons 

the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from the shortest wavelength and highest frequency (gamma rays) to the longest wavelength and lowest frequency (radio waves) and including visible light

the discrete wavelengths emitted by an atom or compound stimulated by heat, light, or electric current; unique to each element or compound

a disturbance or variation that transfers energy progressively from point to point with or without a medium, without transferring matter

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.