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U1L7 Lab StarSpectraSE

Star 5 has broadened spectral lines, indicating high atmospheric pressures characteristic of a giant star. Star 7 has spectral lines that are slightly redshifted and blueshifted, suggesting it has a large orbiting planet. Star 8 shows two sets of spectral lines that shift in opposite directions, identifying it as a binary star system.

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109 views3 pages

U1L7 Lab StarSpectraSE

Star 5 has broadened spectral lines, indicating high atmospheric pressures characteristic of a giant star. Star 7 has spectral lines that are slightly redshifted and blueshifted, suggesting it has a large orbiting planet. Star 8 shows two sets of spectral lines that shift in opposite directions, identifying it as a binary star system.

Uploaded by

jpstep13
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

Student Exploration: Star Spectra

Vocabulary: absorption spectrum, binary star, blueshift, Cepheid variable, emission spectrum,
giant star, nebula, redshift, spectrum, star

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. What happens when light goes through a prism? __________________________________

This band of colors is called a spectrum.

2. A rainbow is an example of a spectrum. What is the sequence of colors in a rainbow?

_________________________________________________________________________

Gizmo Warm-up
The interior of a star produces a continuous spectrum of light,
like a rainbow. Cooler gases in the outer layers of the star
absorb certain wavelengths of light, causing dark lines to appear
in the spectrum. The resulting absorption spectrum can tell
astronomers a great deal about the star.

1. On the Star Spectra Gizmo, turn on Show labels. Select


star 1 to see its absorption spectrum.

How many lines do you see in the spectrum? ___________

2. Drag the Hydrogen spectrum next to the Star spectrum so that the edges line up. Do some

of the lines on the two spectra match up? ___________

3. Drag the Helium spectrum next to the Star spectrum. Do some lines match? ___________

4. Try out the other available spectra. Do any others have lines that match? ___________

5. Which elements have contributed to the spectrum of star 1? _________________________

Note: The elements in a star’s spectrum do not necessarily reflect what the star is made of.
The absorption spectrum is mostly determined by the surface temperature of the star.

2019
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
 Check that Show labels is on and Neutral spectra
Classifying stars
is selected.

Question: How are stars classified?

Introduction: Late in the 19th century, Harvard astronomer Edward Pickering wanted to sort
and catalog the thousands of star spectra that had been collected by the Harvard Observatory.
He hired several women to do the work, paying them 25 cents a day. The most prominent of
these women was Annie Jump Cannon, who devised a classification system still used today.

Harvard Classification Scheme


Class Color Prominent spectral lines Surface Temp. (K)
O Blue Ionized helium, hydrogen > 25,000
B Blue-white Neutral helium, hydrogen 11,000 – 25,000
A White Hydrogen, ionized sodium, ionized calcium 7,500 – 11,000
Hydrogen, ionized sodium and calcium;
F White 6,000 – 7,500
neutral sodium and calcium
Neutral sodium and calcium, ionized
G Yellow 5,000 – 6,000
calcium, ionized iron, ionized magnesium
Neutral calcium, neutral iron, neutral
K Orange 3,500 – 5,000
magnesium
Neutral iron, neutral magnesium, and neutral
M Red < 3,500
titanium oxide (not shown)

1. Classify: Use the Gizmo to find the elements that are present in the spectra of stars 1
through 4. Remember to check both the Neutral spectra and the Ionic spectra. Then use
the table above to classify each star and describe its surface temperature. (Note: A star
spectrum may not display lines of all of the elements typical of its spectral class.)

Star Color Elements in spectrum Class Surface Temperature (K)

2. On your own: Look up Annie Jump Cannon on the Internet or in a library and read her story.
Share your discoveries with your classmates and teacher.

2019
Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:
Unusual stars  Select star 5.

Question: What else can we learn from stellar spectra?

1. Observe: Observe the spectra of stars 5 – 10. Identify the elements in each spectrum, and
try to classify each star. If you notice unusual features in these spectra, describe them.

Star Color Elements in spectrum Class Unusual features

10

Match: Write the number of the star or object that matches each description. Then use this
information to help you identify the elements and reclassify the stars in the table above.

____ High atmospheric pressures in a star cause spectral lines to be broadened, or


“smeared out.” Giant stars, which have relatively low atmospheric pressures, are
characterized by narrow spectral lines.

____ If a star is moving away from an observer, spectral lines are redshifted, or shifted
toward the red end of the spectrum. An approaching star is blueshifted.

____ A star orbited by a large planet will move in a small circle. This will cause its
spectrum to be slightly redshifted part of the time and blueshifted at other times.

____ Binary stars are pairs of stars that orbit one another. Their presence is indicated by
two spectra that shift in opposite directions.

____ Cepheid variable stars change their brightness in a regular cycle. Gas pressure
builds up, causing the stars to expand quickly. When the pressure is released, the
star contracts, and the intensity of some spectral lines may decrease.

____ A nebula is an enormous cloud of gas and dust in which stars are born. Most
nebulae produce an emission spectrum, which is characterized by bright lines of
color against a dark background. The bright lines in an emission spectrum
correspond to the dark lines in an absorption spectrum.

2019

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