StumbleBum's 3/4 Physics Question Thread

[StumbleBum]

A free electron, on the other hand, can have any value of energy - i.e., a continuous distribution.

As for your specific question in the second post, the answer is no. If the difference between two energy levels required 11J of energy, and you provided 12J, the transition would not occur. Photons can only be absorbed all-at-once; you could not absorb 11J worth of the photon's energy and dispel 1J as 'heat'. (It's worth considering what 'heat' would even mean in this instance; invariably it would have to be in the form electromagnetic radiation - that is another photon. You can see in this way that you really would have 'split' the photon).

So what about if the energy required energy between two energy levels was 11J but after the higher energy level ionisation occurs, and 12J is supplied? What would the excess energy be in the form of then?

[Aurelian]

So what about if the energy required energy between two energy levels was 11J but after the higher energy level ionisation occurs, and 12J is supplied? What would the excess energy be in the form of then?

Yeah I should've mentioned this. Any energy above ionization energy will cause ionization. If 'excess' energy were provided, it would appear in the freed electron's kinetic energy.

So, if you supplied 20eV of energy to an electron in the ground state of hydrogen, ionization would occur and the freed electron would have 20 - 13.6 = 6.4eV of kinetic energy.

[StumbleBum]

So what about if the energy required energy between two energy levels was 11J but after the higher energy level ionisation occurs, and 12J is supplied? What would the excess energy be in the form of then?

Yeah I should've mentioned this. Any energy above ionization energy will cause ionization. If 'excess' energy were provided, it would appear in the freed electron's kinetic energy.

So, if you supplied 20eV of energy to an electron in the ground state of hydrogen, ionization would occur and the freed electron would have 20 - 13.6 = 6.4eV of kinetic energy.

Okay so applying it to this question:

ionisation - 9.5ev
        n=3 - 9.3ev
        n=2 - 8.9ev
        n=1 - 0ev

A beam of photos, with each photon of energy 9.3eV, is now incident on a sample of this gas at room temperature. Determine the energies absorbed or emitted as a result of all electron transactions that will occur between energy levels as a result of this beam.

I said:
Absorbed: 9.3eV
Emitted: 9.5ev, 0.6ev, 0.2ev, 9.3ev, 0.4ev, 8.9ev

However they said:
Absorbed: 9.3eV
Emitted: 9.3ev, 0.4ev, 8.9ev

Wouldn't it include the three possible emissions from the ionised state? im taking it that it can absorb the photon energy and go to n=3, then from there absorb more photon energy and be ionised. Is this correct? or cant this happen for some reason?

[Aurelian]

How do you get to n=3 in the first place if your incident photons have E = 9.3eV? Also, let's resolve this via PMs so we don't hijack Bazza's thread

[Lasercookie]

Also, let's resolve this via PMs so we don't hijack Bazza's thread

I've split the thread, so you can continue it here if you want.

[StumbleBum]

Also, let's resolve this via PMs so we don't hijack Bazza's thread

I've split the thread, so you can continue it here if you want.

Oh man, you don't understand how confused I was when I went into my new replies then this thread...
But thanks haha

[StumbleBum]

How do you get to n=3 in the first place if your incident photons have E = 9.3eV? Also, let's resolve this via PMs so we don't hijack Bazza's thread

It goes from the ground state to n=3 because the difference is 9.3eV and the incident photons have 9.3eV?

[Aurelian]

Er sorry, I meant how did emit 9.5eV in the first place if your incident photons were 9.3eV, not how did you get to n=3

[StumbleBum]

Er sorry, I meant how did emit 9.5eV in the first place if your incident photons were 9.3eV, not how did you get to n=3

This is what i was confused about, as i said in my post earlier. Can you shed any light on this question, no pun intended haha.

Wouldn't it include the three possible emissions from the ionised state? im taking it that it can absorb the photon energy and go to n=3, then from there absorb more photon energy and be ionised. Is this correct? or cant this happen for some reason?

[Aurelian]

Er sorry, I meant how did emit 9.5eV in the first place if your incident photons were 9.3eV, not how did you get to n=3

This is what i was confused about, as i said in my post earlier. Can you shed any light on this question, no pun intended haha.

Wouldn't it include the three possible emissions from the ionised state? im taking it that it can absorb the photon energy and go to n=3, then from there absorb more photon energy and be ionised. Is this correct? or cant this happen for some reason?

But if it's ionized, then the electron is lost... It flies away

[StumbleBum]

Er sorry, I meant how did emit 9.5eV in the first place if your incident photons were 9.3eV, not how did you get to n=3

This is what i was confused about, as i said in my post earlier. Can you shed any light on this question, no pun intended haha.

Wouldn't it include the three possible emissions from the ionised state? im taking it that it can absorb the photon energy and go to n=3, then from there absorb more photon energy and be ionised. Is this correct? or cant this happen for some reason?

ahHA! I can't believe i didn't pick up on that, god i knew it would be something simple.. it always is! thanks haha

But if it's ionized, then the electron is lost... It flies away