Explain what it means for an atom to absorb a photon of a particular color and emit a photon of a particular color. Explain why a blue shirt appears blue. What color would the shirt appear if a red light was shone on it?
Explain what it means for an atom to absorb a photon of a particular color and emit a photon of a particular color.
Explain why a blue shirt appears blue. What color would the shirt appear if a red light was shone on it?
(a)
When an atom absorbs a photon, in the form of energy, the electrons of that atom gets excited from lower energy level to the higher energy level. The electrons absorb a UV photon of the visible light of a particular colour. This excitation is known as the transition of the electrons. When the electrons are excited to a higher energy level they are in an unstable position.
This electron returns back to the lower energy level. While returning back the electrons emit energy. The energy emitted depends on the level at which the electronic transition takes place. Depending on the amount of energy of the photon emitted, the colour of the visible light of a particular colour can be seen.
Therefore the amount of energy absorbed and the amount of energy emitted may differ and simultaneously the particular emitted or absorbed may also differ.
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