What is the Difference Between a Continuous Spectrum and a Bright Line Spectrum?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between a continuous spectrum and a bright line spectrum lies in the distribution of wavelengths or energies in each type of spectrum.
- Continuous Spectrum: This is a series of attainable values of a physical quantity, having no considerable gap between each value. In the context of light, a continuous spectrum is formed by the collection of light of all frequencies that pass through space. It is produced by solids at high temperatures, like the filament of an electric lamp.
- Bright Line Spectrum (Emission Spectrum): This is a series of attainable values of a physical quantity, having a considerable gap between each value. In the context of light, a bright line spectrum is formed by the collection of emitted light from an excited state atom. When an electron in an excited state moves to a lower energy level, it emits a certain amount of energy as photons. The spectrum for this transition consists of lines because the energy levels are quantized.
In summary, a continuous spectrum has no gaps between the values, while a bright line spectrum has separate lines with gaps between them.
Comparative Table: a Continuous Spectrum vs a Bright Line Spectrum
The main difference between a continuous spectrum and a bright line spectrum lies in the distribution of wavelengths within the spectra. Here is a table comparing the two types of spectra:
| Feature | Continuous Spectrum | Bright Line Spectrum |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A continuous spectrum is a series of attainable values of a physical quantity, having no considerable gap between each value. | A bright line spectrum is a series of attainable values of a physical quantity having a considerable gap between each value. |
| Appearance | Continuous spectra contain a smooth, unbroken distribution of wavelengths. | Bright line spectra are composed of distinct, individual lines of color, with large gaps between the lines. |
| Formation | Continuous spectra are formed by superimposing both absorption and emission spectra of the same species. | Bright line spectra are generated either in absorption spectra (dark lines in a bright background) or emission spectra (bright lines in a dark background). |
| Wavelength Range | Continuous spectra contain all the wavelengths within a given limit. | Bright line spectra contain only a few wavelengths. |
| Examples | A continuous spectrum can be observed when a black object is heated to glow, emitting radiation in a continuous spectrum. | Examples of bright line spectra include the dark lines in the solar spectrum (absorption spectrum) and the bright lines in an emission spectrum from a gas discharge tube. |
In summary, a continuous spectrum is characterized by a smooth, unbroken distribution of wavelengths, while a bright line spectrum consists of distinct, individual lines of color with large gaps between them. Continuous spectra are formed by superimposing both absorption and emission spectra, while bright line spectra are generated either in absorption or emission spectra.
- Continuous Spectrum vs Line Spectrum
- Emission vs Continuous Spectrum
- Continuous vs Discrete Spectrum
- Absorption Spectrum vs Emission Spectrum
- Prism Spectra vs Grating Spectra
- Action Spectrum vs Absorption Spectrum
- Bandwidth vs Spectrum
- Brightness vs Contrast
- Electromagnetic Radiation vs Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Incandescent vs Fluorescent Light Spectrums
- Emission vs Absorption Spectra
- Monochromatic Light vs Coherent Light
- Red vs Blue Light
- Brightness vs Luminosity
- Spectroscopy vs Spectrometry
- Achromatic vs Monochromatic
- Spectrometer vs Spectrophotometer
- Dispersion vs Scattering of Light
- Exposure vs Brightness