Day 2: Energy and Atomic Structure

If you have not yet worked through the Introduction and Day One, please do so before beginning this section.

Today we discuss how electromagnetic radiation (light) can be absorbed or emitted by matter. Studies of atomic spectra led to the idea that electrons in atoms can only have specific quantities of energy, that is, that each atom has energy levels. When an atom absorbs electromagnetic radiation it changes from a lower to a higher energy level; when an atom emits light it changes from a higher to a lower energy level. A model called quantum chemistry applies the equations used to describe waves to electrons in atoms and is able to predict accurately atomic energy levels. Thinking about electrons in atoms involves both wave and particle ideas.

Here are links to all sections of the work for Day Two. Be sure to complete them before your whole-class meeting.

D2.1 Electromagnetic Radiation

D2.2 Atomic Spectra

D2.3 Atomic Energy Levels

D2.4 Hydrogen Atom: Quantum Mechanical Model

D2.5 Wave-Particle Duality

Day Two Podia Problem

Comments
Please use this form to report any inconsistencies, errors, or other things you would like to change about this page. We appreciate your comments. 🙂 (Note that we cannot answer questions via the google form. If you have a question, please post it on Piazza.)

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Chem 109 Fall 2024 Copyright © by Jia Zhou; John Moore; and Etienne Garand is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.