Photo AI
A sodium lamp emits yellow-coloured light - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 18 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 18
A sodium lamp emits yellow-coloured light. If the light from the lamp was passed through a container of sodium vapour, it is likely that the light emerging from the ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A sodium lamp emits yellow-coloured light - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 18 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
C. duller, due to electrons in atoms in the sodium vapour moving from higher to lower energy levels.
Answer
When the light from the sodium lamp passes through the sodium vapour, some of the emitted light may be absorbed by the sodium atoms. This occurs because the electrons in the sodium atoms can absorb energy from the incoming yellow light, causing them to move to a higher energy level.
As these electrons return to their original (lower) energy levels, they release energy in the form of light, but some of the original light is absorbed in the process, resulting in a 'duller' appearance of the light that emerges from the container. Therefore, the light becomes less intense as a result of this absorption process.