ISP 205 Lab 7 Discussion Questions
- Given what you have learned in today's lab, which has more energy,
red light or blue light? With that in mind, which of the Balmer lines
corresponds to the greatest change in energy level for the electron?
- The hottest stars have temperatures of about 4x104 K
and the coolest have temperatures around 2x103 K. What
wavelengths of light do these stars emit if wavelength =
3x107 Å / T (K)? How do these wavelengths compare to the
wavelengths of light given off by the sun (surface temperature = 5800
K). Is the light visible? (Note: The human eye can see wavelengths
between about 4500 and 6750 Å .)
- If a person were to observe the brightest stars in the night sky
with his or her naked eye, would that person be able to distinguish
between hot stars and cool stars? Please explain.
- The sun emits the highest intensity of radiation over the same
wavelength range that the human (as well as many animals') eye is most
sensitive over. Is this pure coincidence or is there an explanation
for this. Consider a planet that is orbiting a star that is hotter than
our sun. If creatures with "eyes" were to evolve in that planet, over
what range of electromagnetic radiation would their "eyes" most likely
be sensitive to?
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