Chemistry · Atomic Structure
Work through this past-paper style MCQ, then read the full explanation. Practice more chemistry questions on mMCQ with adaptive practice and topic analytics.
The emission or absorption of energy by an atom is represented by ∆E =
- A
hv
- B
½ mv^2
- C
Mgh
- D
Mc^2
The emission or absorption of energy by an atom is represented by: ∆E = hυ
Where '∆E' is the energy difference between the initial and final states, 'h' is Planck's constant, and 'υ' is the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed. Planck's constant is a physical constant that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency. It is approximately equal to 6.626 × 10-34 joule-seconds.
(hv):
The emission or absorption of energy by an atom occurs in the form of photons when electrons transition between different energy levels within the atom. The energy of a single photon (\Delta E) is directly proportional to its frequency (v), and the constant of proportionality is Planck's constant (h). Therefore, the energy difference between the atomic energy levels, which corresponds to the energy of the emitted or absorbed photon, is given by the equation:
\Delta E = hv
* \frac{1}{2} mv^2: This formula represents kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. While atoms can have kinetic energy, the emission or absorption of energy related to changes in their electronic states (which leads to the release or absorption of photons) is not directly described by this formula.
* Mgh: This formula represents gravitational potential energy, which is the energy an object possesses due to its position in a gravitational field. This is not relevant to the energy changes within an atom.
Mc^2: This formula, derived from Einstein's theory of special relativity, represents the rest energy of an object due to its mass. While related to energy, it doesn't describe the energy changes associated with atomic transitions and photon emission or absorption.
Tagged under Chemistry · Atomic Structure · 2010