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GCSE Physics · key term
A display of the intensity of electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 7.12P · Paper 1
Revise: Red-shiftA spectrometer separates visible light by wavelength to produce a spectrum. Violet light is at the shorter-wavelength end and red light is at the longer-wavelength end.
Paper 1, Paper 2
The pattern formed when light is separated into its component wavelengths.
Revise: Red-shift and Evidence for the Big BangWhen light is separated into a spectrum, it can contain a recognisable pattern of spectral lines. Particular elements produce lines at particular wavelengths, so the pattern acts rather like a barcode.
For red-shift, link all three stages: the galaxy is receding, its observed wavelengths are longer, and its spectral lines shift towards the red end of the spectrum.
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