When a hydrogen atom absorbs a photon that raises it to the n = 4 state, how many different energies are possible for the photon(s) that may be emitted as the atom eventually returns to the ground state?
A)3
B)4
C)5
D)The correct answer is not given.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a hydrogen atom is excited to the n = 4 state, it can transition back to the ground state (n = 1) through various paths, emitting photons of different energies. The possible transitions are: 4→3, 4→2, 4→1, 3→2, 3→1, and 2→1. This results in 6 possible transitions, but only 5 different photon energies because the direct transition from 4→1 is the same as the sum of the energies of 4→3, 3→2, and 2→1 transitions.

When a Hydrogen Atom Absorbs a Photon That Raises It