What causes the emission of radiant energy that produces characteristics spectral lines?

1 Answer
Dec 27, 2015

From Bohr Model of the atom we see that when an electron jumps from an allowed orbit to another, radiant energy (photon) is emitted.

Explanation:

You can have an idea of the phenomenon observing the emission spectrum of hydrogen and the transitions responsible for it:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hyde.html
Red for example is emitted (and you see the red line in emission) when the electron "falls" from orbit at #n=3# to orbit with #n=2#.