Question

Consider these two cases. Case 1: An electron jumps from energy level 1 to energy level 2 in an atom. Case 2: An electron jumps from energy level 1 to energy level 3 in an atom. For case 1, what happens when an electron jumps from energy level 1 to energy level 2 in an atom? O A proton is emitted by the atom. O A photon is absorbed by the atom. O A photon is emitted by the atom. O A proton is absorbed by the atom. Assuming that both cases describe Hydrogen-like atoms with one electron, for which case is more energy emitted or absorbed? It is impossible to tell. More energy is emitted or absorbed for case 1. More energy is emitted or absorbed for case 2. The energy is the same for both cases. O

Answer 1

1. For case 1,

A photon is absorbed by the atom

Whenever a compound or an atom is irradiated by electromagnetic radiation, it absorbs a part of energy corresponds to the energy difference between its energy levels between which the electronic transition takes place. The energy in electromagnetic radiation or light is in the form of photons.

Hence when an electron jumps from energy level 1 to energy level 2 in an atom, a photon is absorbed by the atom.

when an electron jumps from energy level 1 to energy level 2, there is no emission or absorption of protons. Electronic transitions only took place here. Protons are present inside the nucleus and are much stable. They do not emit from the nucleus of the atom in this situation.

2.

More energy is emitted or absorbed for case 2.

The amount of energy absorbed by the atom is not a random choice. The quantity of absorbed radiation as photons is directly proportional to the energy difference between the energy levels in an atom in which the electronic transitions takes place as mentioned earlier.

The energy gap between energy level 1 and energy level 2 is small and hence it requires lesser energy for the atom to make this electronic transition

The energy gap between energy level 1 and energy level 3 is much more than 1 and 2. Thus the atom need to absorbs excess amount of energy that is the energy corresponds the energy difference between level 1 and 3. Hence the atom absorbs more energy in case 2.