why does a sodium street lamp give off a different color light than a neon light?

Because the spectrum of Na is not the same as neon (or whatever gas in inside the street lamp--it probably isn't neon.)

Sodium street lamps and neon lights emit different colors of light because they use different gases to produce the light.

Sodium street lamps produce a yellowish-orange light because they contain a small amount of sodium vapor. When an electric current passes through the lamp, it excites the sodium atoms, causing them to release energy in the form of light. This results in the characteristic yellowish-orange color.

On the other hand, neon lights produce a reddish-orange color. They contain neon gas, which emits light when the gas is excited by an electric current. The color of the light depends on the specific gas used and the energy levels of the gas atoms.

In summary, the different colors of light emitted by sodium street lamps and neon lights are due to the specific gases used in each lamp and the resulting energy levels of the atoms in those gases.

The reason why a sodium street lamp gives off a different color light than a neon light is because of the different gases used inside them and how they emit light.

To understand this, let's take a look at how different gases emit light. When an atom or molecule gains energy, its electrons move to higher energy levels. When these excited electrons return to their original energy level, they release energy in the form of light. This emitted light has a specific color associated with it, determined by the energy difference between the higher and lower energy levels.

In the case of a neon gas, when energy is supplied, its electrons become excited and then quickly return to their ground state. This rapid energy release produces a bright orange-red color of light.

On the other hand, in a sodium lamp, the gas used is sodium vapor. When energy is supplied, the electrons of sodium atoms gain energy and become excited. However, when they return to their ground state, they release energy in the form of yellow-orange light.

So, the different colors emitted by sodium and neon lights are due to the specific energy levels and transitions of the electrons in the respective gases. Sodium emits yellow-orange light, while neon emits orange-red light.

In summary, the difference in color between sodium and neon lights is caused by the gases used and the specific energy transitions of their electrons.