What is the difference between an absorption spectrum and a standard curve?

The standard curve is defined by an equation initially derived by Max plank. It describes how much light a body emits at every wavelength. Needless to say the, because it is a function, it is continuous, meaning there are no wavelengths at which the body doesn't emit at. Bodies who's spectrum fits this "standard curve" are known as black body radiators. The sun is a very good example of a black body (in truth nothing is a black body but some things are so close we can just consider them black bodies). An absorption spectrum is when a certain body doesnt emit at every wavelength. The graph of wavelength versus intensity still looks similar to the standard curve, but there are points at which the intensity is zero, namely the body does not emit at those wavelengths, and those blank spots on the curve are known as absorptions because the body absorbs at those wavelengths rather than emitting at them. You would produce an absorption spectrum because you do not emit at all wavelengths ( ...  more