According to Kirchhoff's laws, the continuous spectrum of light from a hot star, after passing through a cool gas cloud,
A) is enhanced at infrared wavelengths by a continuous spectrum emitted by the cool gas.
B) contains additional emission lines from energy emitted by the atoms of the cool gas.
C) shows absorption features where light has been absorbed by the atoms of the cool gas.
D) is unaffected because atoms in the gas cloud are too cool to absorb or emit energy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Kirchhoff's laws of spectral analysis explain that when continuous spectrum light from a hot source (like a star) passes through a cooler gas, atoms in the gas absorb specific wavelengths of light. This absorption creates dark lines or absorption features in the spectrum, corresponding to the energies associated with transitions between energy levels in the atoms of the gas.

According to Kirchhoff's Laws, the Continuous Spectrum of Light from a Hot