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CIE A Level Physics Your notes

22.4 Energy Levels in Atoms & Line Spectra

Contents
Atomic Energy Levels
Line Spectra
Calculating Discrete Energies

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Atomic Energy Levels

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Atomic Energy Levels
Electrons in an atom can have only certain specific (discrete) energies
These energies are called electron energy levels
They can be represented as a series of stacked horizontal lines increasing in energy
Normally, electrons occupy the lowest energy level available, this is known as the ground state
Electrons can gain energy and move up the energy levels if they absorb energy either by:
Collisions with other atoms or electrons
Absorbing a photon
A physical source, such as heat
This is known as excitation, and when electrons move up an energy level, they are said to be in an
excited state
If the electron gains enough energy to be removed from the atom entirely, this is known as ionisation
When an electron returns to a lower energy state from a higher excited state, it releases energy in the
form of a photon
Electron energy levels in atomic hydrogen

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Your notes

Photons are emitted when an electron moves from a higher energy state to a lower energy state

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Line Spectra
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Line Spectra
Line spectra is a phenomenon which occurs when excited atoms emit light of certain wavelengths
which correspond to different colours
The emitted light can be observed as a series of coloured lines with dark spaces in between
These series of coloured lines are called line or atomic spectra
Each element produces a unique set of spectral lines
No two elements emit the same set of spectral lines, therefore, elements can be identified by their line
spectrum
There are two types of line spectra: emission spectra and absorption spectra

Emission Spectra
When an electron transitions from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, this results in the
emission of a photon
Each transition corresponds to a different wavelength of light and this corresponds to a line in the
spectrum
The resulting emission spectrum contains a set of discrete wavelengths, represented by coloured lines
on a black background
Each emitted photon has a wavelength which is associated with a discrete change in energy,
according to the equation:

hc
∆ E = hf =
λ
Where:
ΔE = change in energy level (J)
h = Planck’s constant (J s)
f = frequency of photon (Hz)
c = the speed of light (m s-1)
λ = wavelength of the photon (m)

Therefore, this is evidence to show that electrons in atoms can only transition between discrete energy
levels
Hydrogen emission spectrum

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Your notes

The colours on the emission spectrum refer to photons emitted from de-exciting from one level to
another
Absorption Spectra
An atom can be raised to an excited state by the absorption of a photon
When white light passes through a cool, low-pressure gas it is found that light of certain wavelengths
are missing
This type of spectrum is called an absorption spectrum
An absorption spectrum consists of a continuous spectrum containing all the colours with dark lines at
certain wavelengths
These dark lines correspond exactly to the differences in energy levels in an atom
When these electrons return to lower levels, the photons are emitted in all directions, rather than in the
original direction of the white light
Therefore, some wavelengths appear to be missing
The wavelengths missing from an absorption spectrum are the same as their corresponding emission
spectra of the same element
Hydrogen absorption spectrum

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Your notes

The dark lines on the absorption spectrum refer to photons absorbed from exciting from one level to
another

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Calculating Discrete Energies

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Calculating Discrete Energies
The difference between two energy levels is equal to a specific photon energy
This difference is energy is calculated by the equation:

∆ E = hf = E 2 − E 1

Where,
E1 = energy of the lower level (J)
E2 = energy of the higher level (J)
h = Planck’s constant (J s)
f = frequency of photon (Hz)

Using the wave equation, the wavelength of the emitted, or absorbed, radiation can be related to the
energy difference by the equation:

hc
λ=
E2 − E1
This equation shows that the larger the difference in energy of two levels ΔE, the shorter the wavelength
λ and vice versa

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Worked example
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Some electron energy levels in atomic hydrogen are shown below.

The longest wavelength produced as a result of electron transitions between two of the energy levels
is 4.0 × 10–6 m.
a) Draw and mark:
The transition giving rise to the wavelength of 4.0 × 10–6 m with letter L.
The transition giving rise to the shortest wavelength with letter S.
b) Calculate the wavelength for the transition giving rise to the shortest wavelength.
Answer:
Part (a)

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Your notes

Photon energy and wavelength are inversely proportional, so the largest energy change
corresponds to the shortest wavelength (line S) and the smallest energy change corresponds to
the longest wavelength (line L)
Part (b)
Step 1: Write down the equation linking the wavelength and the energy levels

hc
λ=
E2 − E1
Step 2: Identify the energy levels giving rise to the shortest wavelength
E1 = –0.54 eV

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E2 = –3.4 eV
Step 3: Calculate the wavelength
Your notes
To convert from eV → J: multiply by 1.6 × 10-19
(6 . 63 × 10−34 ) (3 × 108)
λ= = (−) 4 . 347 × 10−7 m = 435 nm
(−3 . 4 − (−0 . 54) ) (1 . 6 × 10−19 )

Exam Tip
Don't forget the minus sign and correctly know which energy level is E2 and E1.
The equation for ΔE gives the value of energy in joules. Therefore, if the energy has been given in eV,
you have to convert this into joules for the calculations.
Although you may get a negative wavelength, the minus sign is not as important, but the value of the
wavelength is for full marks.

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