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Neon Lights and Other Discharge Lamps

Produce light by bombarding atoms with electrons. See how the characteristic spectra of different elements are produced, and configure your own element's energy states to produce light of different colors.

 
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Version 1.09
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Topics Teaching Ideas Software Requirements Translated Versions Credits

Topics

Main Topics

  • Light
  • Electrons

Related Topics

Sample Learning Goals

  • Provide a basic design for a discharge lamp and explain the function of the different components.
  • Explain the basic structure of an atom and relate it to the color of light produced by discharge lamps.
  • Explain why discharge lamps emit only certain colors.
  • Design a discharge lamp to emit any desired spectrum of colors.

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Teaching Ideas

Tips for Teachers

The teacher's guide contains tips for teachers created by the PhET team (PDF).

Ideas and Activities for this Sim

There are 5 contributions listed.

Ascending Sort (Z-A)Title Author Level Type Updated
Introduction to Discharge Lamps Designed by PhET IconImage of Gold StarS. McKaganUG-Intro
UG-Adv		HW7/08
Producing Electromagnetic Radiation using a Neon N. SpletzerHSLab2/07
Spectra of Light A. CarmichaelHSLab4/08
The Visible Spectrum P. CookHSLab11/08
Waves & The Electromagnetic Spectrum Image of Gold StarP. CookHSHW6/09

Submit Your Ideas & Activities

Note: The maximum file size is 64M, with a maximum upload of 64M at a time.

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

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file(s)
grade level(s)*
Check the PhET design guidelines (PDF)

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Software Requirements

Java Icon

Windows Systems Macintosh Systems Linux Systems
Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

 OS 10.4.11 or later
Apple Java 1.5.0_19 or later

 Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

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Translated Versions

Run localized Download
Chinese China Chinese, China Download
Chinese Taiwan Chinese, Taiwan Download
Croatian Croatian Download
Dutch Dutch Download
Finnish Finnish Download
German German Download
Hebrew Hebrew Download
Polish Polish Download
Portuguese Portuguese Download
Slovak Slovak Download
Spanish Spanish Download
Ukrainian Ukrainian Download
Vietnamese Vietnamese Download

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Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Ron LeMaster (developer)
  • Sam McKagan
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
  • Interviewer: Sam McKagan
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