Light & Energy
What is electromagnetic radiation?
Energy that travels through space as waves
What happens when an atom absorbs energy?
Its electrons move from the ground state to an excited state.
Who suggested that electrons act as waves?
Louis de Broglie.
According to quantum theory, where do electrons exist?
In orbitals.
What is an electron configuration?
The arrangement of electrons in an atom.
What is the photoelectric effect?
The emission of electrons from a metal when light shines on it.
What happens to an electron in the excited state?
It releases energy as light when it returns to the ground state.
What evidence supported de Broglie’s idea?
NOT on test
Electrons could be "bent."
How are orbitals different from orbits?
Orbitals describe regions of probable electron location, not fixed paths.
How many orbitals are in each sublevel?
s = 1, p = 3, d = 5, f = 7.
What is a photon?
A particle of electromagnetic radiation that has zero mass and carries a quantum of energy.
What is the difference between the ground and excited states?
Ground state: lowest energy; Excited state: higher energy due to absorbed energy.
What principle did Heisenberg propose?
The uncertainty principle — you can’t know both the position and momentum of an electron.
How many sublevels exist in each main energy level?
Equal to the main energy level number (n = 1 → 1 sublevel, n = 2 → 2, etc.).
How many electrons can each sublevel hold?
s = 2, p = 6, d = 10, f = 14.
What is a quantum?
The minimum quantity of energy that can be lost or gained by an atom.
Who first proposed electrons orbit the nucleus like planets around the sun in orbits?
Niels Bohr
Heisenberg and Schrödinger laid the foundation for what?
Modern quantum theory.
Name all sublevels.
s, p, d, and f.
What is the full electron configuration for Neon?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶
What determines the color of light emitted by an electron?
The amount of energy that was given to the electron.
How did hydrogen’s line-emission spectrum support Bohr’s model?
NOT on test
It showed that electrons occupy specific energy levels.
What is the name of the modern theory describing electron wave properties?
Quantum theory.
What do quantum numbers specify?
The properties of atomic orbitals and the properties of electrons in orbitals.
What is the noble gas (abbreviated) configuration for Calcium?
[Ar] 4s²