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which statement below best summarizes the relationship between the intensity of

ID: 531925 • Letter: W

Question

which statement below best summarizes the relationship between the intensity of an emission line and what is happening on the atomic level?'

The intensity of an emission line is directly proportional to the number of photons emitted at that wavelength over the time a spectrum was collected.

The most intense lines are always due photons of the lowest energy because the lower energy makes them easier to emit.

Higher energy photons produce higher intensity (brighter) emission lines.

More intense emission lines are due to fewer photons being emitted of that wavelength which makes them stand out.

Explanation / Answer

The intensity of an emission line is directly proportional to the number of photons emitted at that wavelength over the time a spectrum was collected.

The atom produces light of certain wavelengths. (Remember that light is both a photon and a wave!) The more atoms undergoing a particular transition, the more intense the emission line will be. The intensity depends on the density and temperature of the gas.