Question

Which statement accurately describes this atomic spectrum?

There is a horizontal rectangle with the colors of the rainbow from violet to red. There are lines in purple, blue, green and orange.
The black lines represent the energy emitted by the electrons.
The black lines represent the energy absorbed by the electrons.
The colored lines represent the energy emitted by the electrons.
The colored lines represent the energy absorbed by the electrons.

Answer 1

The black (dark) lines: the energy absorbed by electrons.

Explanation: a continuous spectrum with dark lines is an absorption spectrum — atoms absorb photons at specific wavelengths when electrons jump to higher energy levels, leaving dark lines at those wavelengths. (By contrast, bright colored lines on a dark background would be emitted light from electrons dropping to lower levels.)