The spacing of the energy levels for an excited atom and for a rotating molecule, as the level gets higher, is, respectively,
A) closer together and closer together.
B) closer together and farther apart.
C) farther apart and closer together.
D) farther apart and farther apart.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For an excited atom, as the energy levels get higher, they get closer together due to the decreasing difference in energy between levels. For a rotating molecule, the energy levels get farther apart as the level increases because the moment of inertia changes, leading to a larger energy difference between successive rotational states.

The Spacing of the Energy Levels for an Excited Atom