High School

Quantization of Energy Lab Report

Instructions:
For this investigative phenomenon, you will need to determine the composition of the new star using a spectrometer. This will help scientists determine the star's approximate age. You will complete Part I and Part II trials of the experiment. Record your observations and test measurements in the lab report below. You will submit your completed report.

**Title:**

**Objective(s):**

**Hypothesis:**

**Procedure:**

**Materials:**

**Variables:**
- Controlled variables:
- Independent variable:
- Dependent variable:

**Summary of Steps:**

**Data:**

**Part I: Flame Tests**

| Solution | Element Name | Color Description |
|----------------|--------------|-------------------|
| Known One | | |
| Known Two | | |
| Known Three | | |
| Known Four | | |
| Known Five | | |
| Known Six | | |
| Unknown One | | |
| Unknown Two | | |

**Part II: Spectrometry**

| Known Elements | Spectrum Line |
|----------------|---------------|
| Hydrogen | |
| Helium | |
| Sodium | |
| Neon | |
| Mercury | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |

**Star Composition**

| Line in Star Spectrum | Color | Wavelength |
|-----------------------|-------|------------|
| 1 | | |
| 2 | | |
| 3 | | |
| 4 | | |
| 5 | | |
| 6 | | |
| 7 | | |
| 8 | | |
| 9 | | |
| 10 | | |
| 11 | | |
| 12 | | |
| 13 | | |
| 14 | | |
| 15 | | |
| 16 | | |
| 17 | | |
| 18 | | |

**Conclusion**

**Post-Lab Reflection Questions:**

1. In Parts I and II of the lab, what happened to the electrons of each element to produce the different colors of light? Explain your answers using important terms from the lesson and information provided in the laboratory.

2. Stars composed of heavier (more massive) elements are often slightly older than stars made predominantly from hydrogen and helium. Based on your data, is the newly discovered star a younger star? Explain your answer.

Answer :

Final answer:

Spectroscopy is a process used in astrophysics to identify star elements through their specific spectra or 'light fingerprints'. Comparing the color and spectra of known elements to those of unknown ones, or to the starlight spectra, helps ascertain their concentration in the star. This information, along with knowing that stars with more heavy elements are usually younger (Population I) while those with less heavy elements are older (Population II), can help infer the age of a newly discovered star.

Explanation:

The lab experiment that you're conducting uses a process known as spectroscopy, a cornerstone of astrophysical research. Spectroscopy allows scientists to identify elements in stars by analyzing the spectra, the unique 'fingerprints' of light, displayed when light from the star is passed through a spectrometer. In the experiment, when an element is heated (either from the flame test in Part I or taken from the star's light in Part II), its electrons absorb energy, get 'excited' and jump to a higher energy level. When they return to their original energy level, they emit energy in the form of light that has a specific color, producing different spectral lines.

In Part I, you'll compare the color and spectra of known elements with those of unknown ones and in Part II the known elements with the starlight spectra. The color and brightness of the spectral lines can provide information about the concentration of the elements within the star. With this data, we can categorize stars into two main population types. Population I stars, like the Sun, contain 1-4% of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, usually indicating a younger age. Population II stars in the outer galactic halo and in globular clusters have much lower concentrations of heavy elements and are generally older. Hence, the element composition and spectrum of the newly discovered star would help infer its age.

In terms of the variables in your lab report, the independent variable would be the element under test (known and unknown samples, star composition), the dependent variable would be the result of the spectra (Color, Wavelength), and the controlled variables could include the environment conditions and the functioning of the spectrometer.

Learn more about Spectroscopy here:

https://brainly.com/question/31594990

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