Student Exploration: Star Spectra Vocabulary: absorption spectrum, binary star, blueshift, Cepheid variable, emission spectrum, giant star, nebula, redshift, spectrum, star Prior Knowledge Question s (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) 1. What happens when light goes through a prism? __splits into the colours of the rainbow________________________________ 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? __red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, _______________________________________________________________________ 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? ___10________ 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? __yes_________ 3. Drag the Helium spectrum next to the Star spectrum. Do some lines match? ____yes_______ 4. Try out the other available spectra. Do any others have lines that match? ___no\ 5. ______