Bohr atom: Light excites atomic hydrogen from its lowest level to the n = 4 level. What is the energy of the light? The energy of the lowest level is -13.6 eV.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy difference between the n = 1 level and the n = 4 level in the hydrogen atom can be calculated using the formula for the energy levels of a hydrogen atom: $E_n = -\frac{13.6 \text{ eV}}{n^2}$. For n = 1, $E_1 = -13.6 \text{ eV}$, and for n = 4, $E_4 = -\frac{13.6 \text{ eV}}{16} = -0.85 \text{ eV}$. The energy of the light required to excite an electron from n = 1 to n = 4 is the difference in energy between these two levels: $E = E_4 - E_1 = -0.85 \text{ eV} - (-13.6 \text{ eV}) = 12.75 \text{ eV}$, which is approximately 12.8 eV.

Bohr Atom: Light Excites Atomic Hydrogen from Its Lowest Level