line spectrum


noun Physics.

an electromagnetic spectrum consisting of discrete lines, usually characteristic of excited atoms or molecules.

Origin of line spectrum

First recorded in 1870–75

Example sentences from the Web for line spectrum

  • The defect is also demonstrated by viewing a line-spectrum focused on a ground glass.

    Visual Illusions |Matthew Luckiesh

Scientific definitions for line spectrum

line spectrum

An image of colored lines or bands of light formed in optical spectroscopy, each line representing one of the frequencies in the spectrum of a light source. The light source is usually broken into individual bands by a prism or a diffraction grating.