Emission Spectra of Some Elements from Stars · Earth and Space Sciences Reference Tables (ESSRT)
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The Emission Spectra of Some Elements from Stars chart from the Reference Tables for Earth and Space Sciences (ESSRT) shows the pattern of spectral lines given off by six elements found in stars. It primarily supports HS-ESS1-2.
What the emission spectra show
Six spectra are stacked on a shared wavelength scale that runs from 400 to 700 nanometers: hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and silicon. Each element has its own pattern of lines, from the four lines of hydrogen to the many lines of nitrogen and oxygen. Matching the lines in a star's spectrum to these patterns identifies the elements in the star, and a shift of the whole pattern toward longer or shorter wavelengths shows that the source is moving away from or toward the observer.
Regents Exam Questions
Released Regents questions that cannot be answered without this table, listed by exam. Each link opens the question with its answer key; the standard is the one the question assesses. The exams through August 2026 were given with the earlier edition of the ESSRT, which has the same table.
No released question has needed this table yet.