Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Star Spectra
Vocabulary: absorption spectrum, binary star, blueshift, Cepheid variable, emission spectrum,
giant star, nebula, redshift, spectrum, star
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. What happens when light goes through a prism? Light bends and the visible spectrum
showing the colors of the rainbow are visible.
This band of colors is called a spectrum.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo,
Violet
2. A rainbow is an example of a spectrum. What is the sequence of colors in a rainbow?
Gizmo Warm-up
The interior of a star produces a continuous spectrum of light,
like a rainbow. Cooler gases in the outer layers of the star absorb
certain wavelengths of light, causing dark lines to appearin the
spectrum. The resulting absorption spectrum can tell
astronomers a great deal about the star.
1. On the Star Spectra Gizmo™, turn on Show labels. Select
star 1 to see its absorption spectrum.
How many lines do you see in the spectrum? 10
2. Drag the Hydrogen spectrum next to the Star spectrum so that the edges line up. Do some
of the lines on the two spectra match up? Yes, 4 of them line up.
3. Drag the Helium spectrum next to the Star spectrum. Do some lines match? Yes they all
match.
This study source was downloaded by 100000820363976 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2022 02:23:54 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/54112041/Gizmos-Star-Spectra/
, 4. Try out the other available spectra. Do any others have lines that match? No, some have
some lines matching but not the majority of them.
This study source was downloaded by 100000820363976 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2022 02:23:54 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/54112041/Gizmos-Star-Spectra/
Student Exploration: Star Spectra
Vocabulary: absorption spectrum, binary star, blueshift, Cepheid variable, emission spectrum,
giant star, nebula, redshift, spectrum, star
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. What happens when light goes through a prism? Light bends and the visible spectrum
showing the colors of the rainbow are visible.
This band of colors is called a spectrum.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo,
Violet
2. A rainbow is an example of a spectrum. What is the sequence of colors in a rainbow?
Gizmo Warm-up
The interior of a star produces a continuous spectrum of light,
like a rainbow. Cooler gases in the outer layers of the star absorb
certain wavelengths of light, causing dark lines to appearin the
spectrum. The resulting absorption spectrum can tell
astronomers a great deal about the star.
1. On the Star Spectra Gizmo™, turn on Show labels. Select
star 1 to see its absorption spectrum.
How many lines do you see in the spectrum? 10
2. Drag the Hydrogen spectrum next to the Star spectrum so that the edges line up. Do some
of the lines on the two spectra match up? Yes, 4 of them line up.
3. Drag the Helium spectrum next to the Star spectrum. Do some lines match? Yes they all
match.
This study source was downloaded by 100000820363976 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2022 02:23:54 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/54112041/Gizmos-Star-Spectra/
, 4. Try out the other available spectra. Do any others have lines that match? No, some have
some lines matching but not the majority of them.
This study source was downloaded by 100000820363976 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2022 02:23:54 GMT -06:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/54112041/Gizmos-Star-Spectra/
