The examples are helpful, and the physics is good. By using a spectroscope, scientist can read the absorption and emission patterns of different substances in a star's light spectrum and determine its make-up. Of course the principles of spectral analyses aren't always so cleat to beginning students, so Virtual Spectroscope offers a new approach to studying spectra and spectral intensity graphs.
Students can input data and draw or redraw spectral intensity graphs.
The corresponding spectroscope view instantly changes to mirror their variables. This immediate feedback gives students a Kinesthetic connection between making the graph and viewing the spectrum being represented. Students can hide a spectrum's reference graph and then manipulate their own graphs to predict the intensities of different wavelengths, or they can compare their spectra with a built-in reference of common spectral lines. By using response curves, they can investigate how human receptors, bee receptors, and electronic sensors detect various wavelengths of red, green, blue, and UV light. A robust user's manual provides an excellent overview of the science of spectroscopy that encourages in-depth investigation.