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GCSE Chemistry · key term
The distance between corresponding points on successive waves, commonly shown in nanometres for visible light.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Specification 4.9.2.1 · Paper 2
The distance between corresponding points on successive waves, such as from one wave crest to the next.
Revise: Greenhouse GasesA wave’s wavelength is the distance between matching points on successive waves. Short-wavelength radiation carries energy from the much hotter Sun towards Earth. After Earth’s surface absorbs some of this radiation, it warms and emits radiation with a longer wavelength, mainly infrared radiation.
Paper 2
For a complete description, follow the radiation in order: short-wavelength radiation from the Sun → absorption by Earth’s surface → long-wavelength infrared emitted by the warmed surface → absorption and re-emission by greenhouse gases.
Support every conclusion with chart evidence, such as matching wavelengths or a greater measured intensity.
Read both axis labels and units before interpreting a chart. A taller peak does not mean a longer wavelength or a larger mass-to-charge ratio.
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In flame emission spectroscopy, a sample containing metal ions gives out light at particular wavelengths. The instrument’s output can be displayed as an emission spectrum: a chart containing peaks or lines at those wavelengths.
Specification CM4.2i · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
The distance between successive waves of light; it is often shown in nanometres (nm) on a spectrum.
Revise: Spectroscopy ChartsThe excited particles emit light at particular wavelengths. An instrument separates that light and records a line emission spectrum. It may appear as bright lines on a dark background, or as narrow peaks on a graph.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
The distance between corresponding points on successive waves of light; it is commonly given in nanometres (nm) on a spectrum.
Revise: Emission spectroscopyWhen those electrons return to lower energy levels, they emit light at particular wavelengths. An instrument separates and records that light, producing an emission spectrum.
The distance between successive points on a light wave, commonly shown in nanometres (nm) for visible-light spectra.