Why can't sodium vapour lamp be used in spectrometer experiment

[harini_5]

i was working with a spectrometer and the aim of the experiment was to find the refractive index of a prism for various colors.
i was asked specifically to use mercury vapor lamp and was insisted not to use sodium vapour lamp.
why is it so?

 

[mgb_phys]

for various colors.

How many colors are in a Na vapor lamp?
How many in an Hg

 

[dlgoff]

And the ones you can't see in Hg can be a eye safety concern. i.e. Ultraviolet.

Hopefully precautions are being taken.

 

[harini_5]

How many colors are in a Na vapor lamp?
How many in an Hg

sir can u please tell me the difference between the two spectra,interms of colors etc?

 

[dlgoff]

http://physics.uoregon.edu/~jimbrau/astr122/Notes/Chapter3_4.html"

 

[Dadface]

http://physics.uoregon.edu/~jimbrau/astr122/Notes/Chapter3_4.html"

A wonderful illustration of why mercury is preferable to sodium.