An atom in its ground state absorbs a photon (photon 1 ),...

Name: Problem 28, Chapter 7: General Chemistry
Uploaded: 2021-06-21T20:30:35-08:00
Duration: 1 min 23 s
Channel: Lottie Adams
Description: An atom in its ground state absorbs a photon (photon 1 ), then quickly emits another photon (photon 2). One of these photons corresponds to ultraviolet radiation, whereas the other one corresponds to red light. Explain what is happening. Which electromagnetic radiation, ultraviolet or red light, is associated with the emitted photon (photon 2)?

An atom in its ground state absorbs a photon (photon 1 ), then quickly emits another photon (photon 2). One of these photons corresponds to ultraviolet radiation, whereas the other one corresponds to red light. Explain what is happening. Which electromagnetic radiation, ultraviolet or red light, is associated with the emitted photon (photon 2)?

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Key Concepts

Energy Quantization

Atoms have discrete energy levels, and the energy differences between these levels dictate the energies (and thus wavelengths) of the photons that the atom can absorb or emit. This concept underpins the idea of electron transitions within the atom.

Photon Absorption and Emission

When an atom absorbs a photon, an electron moves from a lower to a higher energy level. The subsequent return to a lower level involves the emission of a photon. The energy (and hence color) of the emitted photon depends on the energy gap between the involved levels.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum categorizes photons by energy and wavelength. Ultraviolet radiation consists of high-energy, short-wavelength photons, whereas red light consists of lower-energy, longer-wavelength photons. Understanding this spectrum is crucial to correlating photon energy with observed color.

Energy Conservation in Atomic Transitions

The energy absorbed by the atom must be conserved and is redistributed during electronic transitions. This principle explains how an atom may absorb a high-energy photon (e.g., in the ultraviolet range) and then emit a photon of lower energy (e.g., red light) as it transitions between energy levels.

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