A certain material is kept at very low temperature. It is observed that when photons with energies between 0.2 and 0.9 eV strike the material, only photons of 0.4 eV and 0.7 eV are absorbed. Next, the material is warmed up so that it starts to emit photons. When it has been warmed up enough that 0.7 eV photons begin to be emitted, what other photon energies are also observed to be emitted by the material? Explain briefly.

Short Answer

Expert verified

0.3 eV , 0.4 , and 0.7 eV

Step by step solution

01

Identification of the given data

The given data is listed below as,

  • The energies of the photons are 0.2eVand0.9eV.
  • The energies of the absorbed photons are 0.4eVand0.7eV.
  • The energy of the photons when emitted from the warmed material is0.7eV.
02

Significance of the law of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution

The law of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution states that energy distribution occurs only between the distinguishable and the identical particles.

The Maxwell-Boltzmann law gives the photon energies that are to be emitted by the material.

03

Determination of the photon energies emitted by the material

The detected lines of absorption at the energy of0.4eVand0.7eV provides the position of the “first two states of energy” that is relative to the ground state. However, the absorbed photons take electrons from the ground state to different excited states.

While heating up the material, the electrons gain energy to move from the ground state to the other excited states and when the electrons come back to the ground states, the electrons emit photons.

As the law of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution is mainly continuous, that shows some electrons will go to the first excited state that is0.4eV and some electrons will also go from the first to the second excited state that is 0.3eV.

Thus, the photon energies observed to be emitted by the material are0.3eV,04eVand0.7eV.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The first excited state of a mercury atom is 4.9eV above the ground state. A moving electron collides with a mercury atom and excites the mercury atom to its first excited state. Immediately after the collision the kinetic energy of the electron is 0.3eV. What was the kinetic energy of the electron just before the collision?


Assume that a hypothetical object has just four quantum states, with the following energies:

-1.0eV(third excited state)

-1.8eV(second excited state)

-2.9eV(first excited state)

-4.8eV(ground state)

(a) Suppose that material containing many such objects is hit with a beam of energetic electrons, which ensures that there are always some objects in all of these states. What are the six energies of photons that could be strongly emitted by the material? (In actual quantum objects there are often “selection rules” that forbid certain emissions even though there is enough energy; assume that there are no such restrictions here.) List the photon emission energies. (b) Next, suppose that the beam of electrons is shut off so that all of the objects are in the ground state almost all the time. If electromagnetic radiation with a wide range of energies is passed through the material, what will be the three energies of photons corresponding to missing (“dark”) lines in the spectrum? Remember that there is hardly any absorption from excited states, because emission from an excited state happens very quickly, so there is never a significant number of objects in an excited state. Assume that the detector is sensitive to a wide range of photon energies, not just energies in the visible region. List the dark-line energies.

Summarize the differences and similarities between different energy levels in a quantum oscillator. Specifically for the first two levels in figure 8.26, compare the angular frequency Ks/m, the amplitude , and the kinetic energyk at the same value of . ( In a quantum-mechanical analysis the concepts of angular frequency and amplitude require reinterpretation. Nevertheless, there remain elements of the classical picture. For example, larger amplitude corresponds to a higher probability of observing a large stretch.)

If you double the amplitude, what happens to the frequency in a classical (non quantum) harmonic oscillator? In a quantum harmonic oscillator?

Assume that a hypothetical object has just four quantum states, with the energies shown in Figure 8.43.

(a) Suppose that the temperature is high enough that in a material containing many such objects, at any instant some objects are found in all of these states. What are all the energies of photons that could be strongly emitted by the material? (In actual quantum objects there are often “selection rules” that forbid certain emissions even though there is enough energy; assume that there are no such restrictions here.) (b) If the temperature is very low and electromagnetic radiation with a wide range of energies is passed through the material, what will be the energies of photons corresponding to missing (“dark”) lines in the spectrum? (Assume that the detector is sensitive to a wide range of photon energies, not just energies in the visible region.)

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