All Questions
10
questions
2
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Why does oxygen green (S1) emission in aurorae only occur at lower altitudes? [duplicate]
Aurorae have a red color at high altitudes caused by the excitation of atomic oxygen and the subsequent emission at about $630 \,\text{nm}$. This happens at high altitudes because at that height there ...
- 181
1
vote
0
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76
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Is the distance between photons the wavelength of light? [closed]
I have a question that may be naive for you, but I would like you to answer it
The question
Is the distance between photons the wavelength of light?
1
vote
3
answers
183
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What are the advantages of radio spectroscopy? [closed]
What is the main purpose for radio spectroscopy? What information of the atomic structure of atoms can we gain from using radio frequency radiation rather than X-rays? Since the wavelength of radio ...
- 324
31
votes
12
answers
7k
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Why is everything not invisible if 99% space is empty?
If every object is $99$% empty space, how is reflection possible? Why doesn't light just pass through?
Also light passes as a straight line, doesn't it? The wave nature doesn't say anything about its ...
- 435
3
votes
1
answer
160
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How do Fluorescent molecules emit light in a different wavelength than the one needed to excite them?
if it took a very certain amount of energy to excite an atom, how come when it de-excites it emits a photon of lower energy?
I know that's what scintillators do, I Just want to know the microscopic ...
- 411
0
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0
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147
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Does quantum mechanics mean that there are a finite number of colours? [duplicate]
Forgive me if my reasoning is based on flawed logic and information. I am no physics expert.
As I understand it when light strikes an object the energy of the photons is absorbed by the atoms that ...
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2
votes
2
answers
835
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Why do small particles deferentially scatter colors (i.e scatter more blue light than red in Rayleigh scattering) while larger particles don't?
In both small and large particles, light as an EM wave will accelerate charged particles such as electrons and induce a dipole forcing the electrons to oscillate at the same frequency of incident ...
1
vote
1
answer
104
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Why does heating an atom make it emit certain wavelengths?
We're going over quantum basics in chemistry right now and I'm very confused.
Electrons can only accept in discreet quanta to move up an energy level, right? And they reflect other forms of light ...
1
vote
4
answers
243
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Are there unabsorbable wavelengths (frequencies) in the electromagnetic spectrum?
The electromagnetic spectrum is continuous. It can have any frequency since the ways of emission depend on velocity of electrons, energy levels, or vibrational modes of connections in molecules. On ...
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4
votes
4
answers
756
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How do light waves get their size?
An atom or (small) molecule has the size of about 100pm. Elektromagnetic waves range from about 0.1nm up to 1 km. The most common way waves (like light) are caused by 'jumping' electrons to another ...
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