An artist who likes working with sources of light decides to make a modern sculpture out of electrified glass tubes that contain very thin (rarified) neon gas. When the sculpture is finished, and the electricity is turned on, the tubes glow with a rich red color. What we are seeing is:
A) a continuous spectrum
B) an absorption spectrum
C) an emission spectrum
D) a Doppler shift
E) all of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the electricity is turned on and the gas in the glass tubes is excited, it emits light at specific wavelengths, creating an emission spectrum. As neon gas emits light in the red part of the spectrum, we see a rich red color. This process does not involve absorption of light or Doppler shift, and it does not produce a continuous spectrum as there are only certain wavelengths of light being emitted by the neon gas. Therefore, the best choice is C, an emission spectrum.

An Artist Who Likes Working with Sources of Light Decides