Skip to main content
emission spectrum

emission spectrum

6.7
A set of bright lines or bands of light given off by something hot like a gas
  • noun
  • /ɪˈmɪʃən ˈspɛktrəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : espectro de emisión
  • The emission spectrum of the glowing gas showed distinct lines that corresponded to different elements.

So indeed, in the case if you put in a fluorescent protein or a fluorescent dye, then it has rather well defined absorption and emission Spectra, right.

Examples

  • Using the emission spectrum, researchers were able to determine the temperature of the gas cloud.

  • And so just to just to be clear, we have an emission spectrum that is quantized.

  • Emission spectra are dark, except for the lines of light.

    Academic text (2004)
  • OK, so let's see if we can try to understand this emission spectrum that you're seeing.

  • The group fit the emission spectrum with a thermal bremsstrahlung distribution and estimated a temperature of one million degrees.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Researchers use changes in the emission spectrum to gain valuable insight into the concentration and behavior of the emitting molecules.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Above threshold, the emission spectrum peaks sharply around 1504 nm, close to the theoretically predicted value.

    Academic text (1999)
  • This is called an emission spectrum, and here, too, the spectral lines can be used as fingerprints because each element emits photons only of specific wavelengths.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The scientist analyzed the emission spectrum to identify the chemical elements present in the distant star.

Synonyms

spectrum
vsemission spectrum
46 5.4

A band of colours seen in a rainbow when light splits

is the radiation from a self-luminous source that often shows characteristic lines
line spectrum
vsemission spectrum
  • Specialized
6.8

Light that shows bright or dark lines at certain colours

is the emitted pattern from glowing matter that can appear as lines or bands

Surface Forms

Morphology

emission + spectrum

The meaning is directly compositional: 'emission' (a release of radiation) combined with 'spectrum' (a band of wavelengths) yields the band of radiation emitted by a source. This noun–noun technical compound follows transparent formation and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can grasp the general meaning even if they lack specialized detail.

Etymology

The term emission spectrum comes from the simple image of a glowing object 'giving off' light (emission) in different colors arranged as lines or bands (spectrum), like bright stripes or a barcode. That's why an emission spectrum means the pattern of light a thing 'gives off', which scientists use as a 'fingerprint' to identify what it is.