Suppose a hydrogen atom is in the n = 4 excited state. what is the largest number of photons that can be emitted as the atom returns to the ground state?

Question

Chemistry

Darren Sosa

11 March, 04:45

Suppose a hydrogen atom is in the n = 4 excited state. what is the largest number of photons that can be emitted as the atom returns to the ground state?

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Carmen Park · Answer 1

One photon is emitted each time an electron downs one or more levels of energy.

The ground state of hydrogen is n = 1.

So the electron has the possibility to release one photon when the electrons goes downward from n = 4 to n = 3, one more photon when goes downward from n = 3 to n = 2 and one more photon when goes downward from n = 2 to n = 1. So, the largest number of photons that can be emiited as the atom returns fo the ground state (n = 1) is 3.

Answer: 3