Re: Absorbtion spectra

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA <narayana@HD1.DOT.NET.IN>]

Besides the natural width due to uncertanity principle deltaE*deltat = hbar,
you have Doppler broadening due to thermal motions, pressure broadening,
collision broadening and Stark broadening.

Introduction to Atomic Spetra by H.E.White (McGraw Hill) has a
chapter devoted to bradth of spectral lines.

regards,

sarma.

At 01:40 PM 5/13/99 -0400, you wrote:
> A student has asked the following question which seems like a good
> one to me:
> If the black lines in an absorbtion spectra correspond to
> individual wavelengths,  then shouldn't they be too thin to be seen?
> Any thoughts?  Do they have a "width"?
>
> *****************************************
>  Gary Hemminger
>  Dwight-Engelwood School
>  315 E. Palisade Ave.
>  Englewood, New Jersey
>             07631
>  e-mail: hemmig@d-e.org
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