Light Emission

[Claudia_Danysh_2B]

Hey guys, I don't think this is something that we need to know but since different photons can make electrons jump to different energy levels that eventually end up returning to ground state, is there a correlation between the color of light that is emitted and the energy of the photon? I know this idea was discussed within the experiment within the photoelectric effect, but I'm wondering if it also applies to atomic spectra.

[Katie Nye 2F]

I'm not sure about color but it does change the type of light. The amount of energy emitted changes from energy level to energy level and that changes type of the light. If the electron falls to level 1, the light is Ultraviolet, level 2 is visible and level 3 is infrared.

[Jared Limqueco 3E]

Yeah, an electron has to be hit with a certain color of light when for it to move up a certain energy level. This certain color of light has a certain energy level. The color is then emitted when the electron falls back down energy levels, because we needa respect that law of conservation. Different elements have different energy requirements for each levels, which is why the colors elements emit are their "fingerprint", as Dr. Lavelle puts it

[Kaylee Messick 3J]

Hello! I'm not exactly sure of the answer to your question, but I would guess that there is a correlation. The color of the light emitted depends on the wavelength of light as it leaves when the electrons drop down to a different energy level. The electrons in different atoms have very specific wavelengths that they emit, so there may be several wavelengths of light possible within the visible light region. This would mean that the color of the light would depend on the energy per photon as it leaves the electrons in specific atoms. I think this is why there were different colors of light in the demonstration that Dr. Lavelle gave in his last lecture, if I understand it correctly. Hope this helps!

[Eve Gross-Sable 1B]

Based on what I know, there is a correlation between photon energy level and color of light emitted. The energy level of the photon absorbed by the element can excite the atom's electron and make it jump and then fall back down. So based on my understanding the number of energy levels it falls will correlate to wavelength (higher frequency going with more energy level difference) which determines the color