I know it is because the electrons in hydrogen and helium absorb them however, they also drop back to ground state immediately and emit the previously absorbed photon. So there should be no net difference as absorbed photon gets emitted. Therefore the emission spectrum should not have missing lines. But they do. What am I missing?
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7Does this answer your question? Why don't absorption and emission lines cancel out in our Sun? – John Rennie Nov 06 '20 at 05:19
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The elements in the hot atmosphere surrounding the Sun absorb their preferred wavelengths of light being beamed out of the sun, but they then re-emit those absorbed photons in random directions- most of which are not aimed at us here on earth. So we see a solar spectrum with dark lines in it- representing those "missing" photons.
niels nielsen
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how about for a flame test? the colours absorbed are clearly seen as they get emitted. Why? Shouldn't they cancel each other out? – mad112 Nov 06 '20 at 07:05
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This is incorrect. After all, if you extend this to every point on a spherical surface at Earth's radius, you would be claiming that these re-emitted photons don't show up anywhere, and that obviously is impossible if in fact they are re-emitted so as to escape the Sun. See the linked answer in the Close comments – Carl Witthoft Nov 06 '20 at 13:08
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That is not my claim. and do not the linked answers also make the point that the re-emitted photons are randomly aimed? – niels nielsen Nov 06 '20 at 15:14