A pigment absorbs a photon only if the energy of the photon is
A)exactly enough to boost an electron of the pigment to a higher energy level.
B)slightly more than the energy of the electron absorbing the photon.
C)significantly more than the energy of the electron absorbing the photon.
D)exactly twice the energy of the electron absorbing the photon.
E)any of these, depending on the type of pigment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A pigment can only absorb a photon if the energy of the photon is exactly enough to boost an electron of the pigment to a higher energy level. This is because the energy absorbed by the electron must be equal to the difference in energy between the electron's initial and final energy levels. If the energy of the photon is too low, the electron cannot be boosted to a higher energy level, and if the energy of the photon is too high, the excess energy is lost as heat.

A Pigment Absorbs a Photon Only If the Energy of the Photon