The Sun crossed the celestial equator heading south at 11:09 EDT last night. Known as an Autumnal equinox, this astronomical event marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south. This image of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light was recorded yesterday with the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The false- color image shows emission from highly ionized iron atoms. Loops and arcs trace
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The Sun crossed the celestial equator heading south at 11:09 EDT last night. Known as an Autumnal equinox, this astronomical event marks the first day.
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The Sun crossed the celestial equator heading south at 11:09 EDT last night. Known as an Autumnal equinox, this astronomical event marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south.
This image of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light was recorded yesterday with the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The false-color image shows emission from highly ionized iron atoms. Loops and arcs trace the glowing plasma suspended in magnetic fields above solar active regions.
Homework #3 is due Tuesday, Sept. 28, 5:00 pm – extra credit question due at class time that day
Exam #1, Thursday, Sept. 30
Review session: Tuesday (9/28), 7:00 pm.
Light as a Particle Light can also be treated as photons – packets of energy.
The energy carried by each photon depends on its frequency
(color)
Energy: E = hf = hc/ [“h” is called Planck’s Constant]
Shorter wavelength light carries more energy per photon.
higher energy
lower energy
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Light as Information Bearer
The spectrum of an object can reveal the object’s:
Composition
Temperature
Velocity
Spectrum: light separated into its different wavelengths.
Spectroscopy: The quantitative analysis of spectra
Four Ways in Which Light can Interact with Matter
1. emission – matter releases energy as light
2. absorption – matter takes energy from light
3. transmission – matter allows light to pass through it
4. reflection – matter reflects light
The type of interaction is determined by characteristics of
the “matter” and the wavelength of light.
Different wavelengths
of light interact
differently with the
atmosphere
Three ways in which spectra manifest themselves:
Continuous spectra
Absorption spectra
Emission line spectra
Continuous spectra are usually related to the temperature of an object that is emitting radiation.
Absorption & emission line spectra are related to the composition of the material absorbing or emitting radiation.
Thermal Emission
A hot, dense glowing object (solid or gas) emits a continuous spectrum.
1. Hotter objects emit more total radiation per unit surface area.
2. Hotter objects have peak emissions at shorter wavelengths (they will appear “bluer”)
Rules for Thermal Emission by Opaque Objects
5000 K
3000 K
4000 K
Wavelength
Ene
rgy
emitt
ed p
er s
quar
e m
eter
The sun emits its peak radiation in the yellow portion
of the visible spectrum.
The human eye has its peak sensitivity at the same wavelength.
Coincidence?
At “room temperature”, or
“body-temperature”, objects emit their
peak radiation in the infrared.
The surface of the Earth emits
radiation in the infrared.
infrared
visible
Extremely hot objects will emit most of their radiation in the ultraviolet, x-ray or even the
gamma ray portion of the spectrum
“Matter” and Light
Atomnucleuselectron
e-
(proton,neutrons)
p+n
● 10,000,000 atoms can fit across a period in your textbook.● The nucleus is nearly 100,000 times smaller than the entire atom (if
atom filled the classroom auditorium, the nucleus would be barely visible at its center).
● Although it is the smallest part of the atom, most of the atom’s mass is contained in the nucleus.
Incorrect view
better view
Electrons do not “orbit” the nucleus; they are “smeared out” in a cloud which give the atom its size.
The number of protons in the nucleus, i.e., the “atomic number”, determines the element
Hydrogene-
p+
atomic number = 1atomic mass number = number protons + neutrons = 1
Helium
e-
p+
n
e-
np+
atomic number = 2atomic mass number = number protons + neutrons = 4
Relative abundances of elements in the universe
Every element has multiple isotopes (same number of protons, different numbers of neutrons) some of which may not be stable (“radioactive”)
Carbon-14 half-life = 5,730 yrs
Hydrogen
e-
p+
n
Deuterium
isotopeof hydrogen
atomic number = 1atomic mass number = number protons + neutrons = 2
Unstable (“radioactive”) isotopes “decay”, producing a new type of atom, i.e., an atom of a different element OR a different isotope of the original element.
One half of the atoms of an unstable isotope decay in one “half-life” of that isotope.
Unstable isotopes and radioactivity
Three isotopes of Carbon, two stable, one unstable.
5730 yrs
14C 14N + electron + antineutrino + energy
Mass (14C) > Mass (14N + electron + antineutrino)
difference in mass is converted into energy: E = mc2
p+
n
e-
np+
atomic number = 2
What if an electron is missing?
ion
He+1
atomic mass number = number protons + neutrons = 4
What if two or more atoms combine to form a particle?
p+ p+
8p+
8n
molecule H2O (water)
Sharing of electrons (chemistry) is involved in the construction of