Moderate

When an electron in an atom goes from a lower to higher orbit its:

Correct answer: B. K.E decreases, P.E increases

  • A. K.E increases, P.E decreases
  • B. K.E decreases, P.E increases
  • C. K.E increase, P.E increase
  • D. K.E decrease, P.E decreases

Explanation

The explanation for this question is given below: When an electron goes from a lower orbit to a higher orbit, it absorbs energy to do so. This increase in energy means that its kinetic energy (K.E) increases because it is now moving faster in the higher orbit.At the same time, the potential energy (P.E) of the electron also increases because it is further from the nucleus in the higher orbit, and electrons in outer orbits have higher potential energy due to their greater distance from the nucleus.So, option (b) "K.E increases, P.E increases" is the correct choice.

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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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