Moderate

Photon of highest frequency will be absorbed when transition takes place from_____________?

Correct answer: A. 1st to 5th orbit

  • A. 1st to 5th orbit
  • B. 2nd to 5th orbit
  • C. 3rd to 5th orbit
  • D. 4th to 5th orbit

Explanation

For absorption into the fifth orbit, the absorbed photon energy is the difference between the fifth-level energy and the starting-level energy. This difference is greatest for the transition from n = 1 to n = 5, so E = hf is greatest and the frequency is highest. The likely mistake is choosing 4th to 5th because it is a transition to the same final orbit, while overlooking that its energy gap is much smaller.

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About Atomic Spectra

Atoms emit or absorb light at specific wavelengths because electrons occupy quantized energy levels and change levels by absorbing or releasing photons. The topic covers emission and absorption spectra, spectral series, hydrogen’s line spectrum, energy-level transitions, and the relation between wavelength, frequency and photon energy.

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