Energy

[annikaying]

Can an atom only take in energy in quanta amounts? I know it is released as such but if struck with light will it only move up an energy level if that specific energy requirement is met? And if so does that mean it would need a second energy requirement to move up another level?

[AVerma_F19]

Think of the energy levels like hitting a golf ball into the hole. If you hit the ball too lightly, it won't go into the hole. If you hit the ball too hard, it again won't go into the hole. If you miss, you have to bring the golf ball back to try and hit it again. Similarly, an electron will only move into a new energy level if the energy of the incoming photon is exactly what it needs to move.

[Jacob Puchalski 1G]

Yep, electrons will only move up an energy level if that specific requirement is met. That's why there's distinct spectral lines on an atomic spectrum.

[Mellanie Gamero 4D]

Also, how does the electron go back to it's ground state after it is in an excited state?

[Nikki Razal 1L]

if i'm not mistaken, the electron falls back to ground state just because over time, it starts to lose energy and becomes less excited

[RobertXu_2J]

Yes and yes. If the energy is not in those specific quanta amounts, it will not absorb it.

[jisulee1C]

When an electron is in an excited state it cannot maintain that high level of energy or that state therefore what happens is it falls back to the original or a lower energy level. And when it falls to a lower energy level the electron emits a photon of light otherwise known as a quanta.