Studying Emission Spectra with Exciting Gas

Why is it important to heat the gas in the discharge tube before studying the emission spectrum of an element?

Would the emission spectrum accurately represent the element being studied if the gas is not heated?

Answer:

Heating the gas in the discharge tube before the absorbed ray hits it is essential for studying the emission spectrum of an element.

Heating the gas in the discharge tube before the absorbed ray hits it is crucial because it allows the emission spectrum to accurately represent the element being studied. When the gas in the discharge tube is heated, the atoms or molecules in the gas gain energy and move to higher energy states. As a result, when the absorbed ray hits the heated gas, the excited atoms or molecules release this excess energy in the form of light, creating an emission spectrum that is unique to the element being studied.

Without heating the gas, the emission spectrum may not accurately represent the element. Heating the gas ensures that the emission spectrum is a true reflection of the specific element present in the discharge tube. This process is vital in spectroscopy and helps in identifying the elemental composition of materials based on their unique emission spectra.