Final answer:
Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom explains that the absorption and emission spectra of an element display discrete line patterns because electrons transition between quantized orbits, absorbing or emitting photons of specific energies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon where an element's absorption and emission spectra display the same discrete line patterns can be explained by Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom. In Bohr's model, electrons orbit the nucleus in certain quantized orbits with discrete energies. When an electron transitions between these orbits, it either absorbs or emits a photon with a specific energy corresponding to the difference in energy levels, producing discrete spectral lines. Thus, the absorption spectrum will show dark lines at the same wavelengths as the bright lines in the emission spectrum, as electrons can only absorb photons of certain energies to jump to higher orbits, and will emit photons of these same energies when dropping back to lower orbits.