When an atom emits a photon, how does the photon's energy depend on the energy of the electron orbits?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the question about photon emission from an atomic electron transitioning between energy levels. 
Option 1: 'Equals the energy of the lower orbit' is incorrect because the energy of the emitted photon corresponds to the difference between the initial and final energy levels, not the absolute energy of the final state. The lower orbit's energy alone does not account for the initial higher energy state.
Option 2: 'Equals the energy of the higher orbit' is also incorrect for similar reasons; using just the energy of the higher level would ignore how far the electron dropped, and thus the energy released.
Option 3: 'Is more than the energy difference between orbits' is not consistent with energy conservation in a simple atomic transition; the photon cannot carry away more energy than the energy released by the electron drop, which is exactly the difference between the two levels.
Option 4: 'Is less than the energy difference between orbits' is incorrect because the photon's energy is not a random fraction; it precisely equals the energy released in the transition, i.e., the exact difference between the initial and final level energies.
Option 5: 'Equals the energy difference between orbits.' is correct because photon energy during emission is hν = E_initial − E_final, which is the energy gap between the two levels involved in the transition. This follows from energy conservation and the quantized nature of atomic energy levels.

ASTRON 2140 AU2025 (23428) Final - 2025 Dec 12

When an atom emits a photon, how does the photon's energy depend on the energy of the electron orbits?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

The hydrogen emission spectrum only shows a few discrete emission lines. This is because:

Which one of the following is the energy of an electron in the n = 5 level of a hydrogen atom?

The lowest energy of an electron in atom is called?

The arrows in the figure depict the transition of an electron in the H atom. A photon is absorbed when the transition occurs. Which transition requires the absorption of the highest energy photon?

The arrows in the figure depict the transition of an electron in the H atom. Which transition requires the absorption of the highest energy photon?

Match the variable to the correct name 1: R_H 2: E_n 3: n

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler