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toastisme
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Been viewing this site for a while now and very much appreciate all the contributors! I can't seem to find an answer to this anywhere so I think I may be misunderstanding the basic ideas of absorption and emission spectra...
An absorption spectrum, say of our Sun, is as I understand it the result of electrons being promoted to higher energy levels through accepting photons at certain wavelengths, thus giving black lines in a spectrum. However, this energy is released as the electron 'wants' to return to a more stable state with lower energy (which gives an emission spectra if there isn't a light source behind the object). So my question is, how quickly do electrons emit this energy? As I understand it, it should be immediately, but wouldn't that then cancel out the absorption lines? Or is a spectrum only a 'snapshot', with spectra shown in real time having the lines fade in and out?
Edit: sorry just saw an answer to this towards the bottom of the page! If someone could delete this...
An absorption spectrum, say of our Sun, is as I understand it the result of electrons being promoted to higher energy levels through accepting photons at certain wavelengths, thus giving black lines in a spectrum. However, this energy is released as the electron 'wants' to return to a more stable state with lower energy (which gives an emission spectra if there isn't a light source behind the object). So my question is, how quickly do electrons emit this energy? As I understand it, it should be immediately, but wouldn't that then cancel out the absorption lines? Or is a spectrum only a 'snapshot', with spectra shown in real time having the lines fade in and out?
Edit: sorry just saw an answer to this towards the bottom of the page! If someone could delete this...
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