Absorbtion and Emission of Photons

[AznBoi]

I'm somewhat confused about the emission of photons when electrons go down an energy level. What sentence could I use to help me comprehend this process? This is what I was thinking: When electrons absorb photons from electromagnetic radiation, the electrons have more energy and thus it moves to a higher energy level. After a while the electrons lose this energy and eventually returns to ground-state energy. Electrons lose this energy by emitting photons that correspond the the difference of the energy levels.

(I would like a better setence to replace my last sentence. Why do the electrons lose the photon energy? Does this mean that every time something loses energy (even humans?) they give off photons?? I know that everything has both a wave and particle nature. So does that mean we absorb photons and give them off too?

So basically, in order for an electron to emit photons or go down an energy level, it must have already absorbed a photon and its energy before? I don't get why the energy levels are negative (-eV). Is it because it is somewhat like a workfunction and how it acts like a deficit of energy that the electron needs to absorb in order to free itself from the atom? Does the electron free itself from the atom after it reaches over the maximum energy level (the one closest to zero)? Thanks for your help in adv.!

 

[Mentz114]

There are a lot of questions and some misunderstandings in your submission. Where did you learn what you've stated ? It is customary to think of an atom ( or ion) as having a ladder of discrete ( positive) energy levels. When a photon is absorbed the energy of the atom will go up the ladder by an amount $$E=h\nu$$. An atom that is not in its lowest energy level ( ground state) may emit a photon spontaneously, in which case the energy goes down by a discrete number of steps.

Have a look here
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~soper/Light/atomspectra.html

Does the electron free itself from the atom after it reaches over the maximum energy level

At some energy level, the electron can escape. This is called the ionization energy of the atom.

 

[m2003]

I can help clarify the process of absorption and emission of photons for you. When electrons absorb photons from electromagnetic radiation, they gain energy and move to a higher energy level. This is known as an excited state. However, this state is not stable and the electron will eventually return to its ground state, or lowest energy level. To do this, the electron releases the excess energy in the form of a photon, which corresponds to the difference in energy between the excited state and the ground state. This is known as emission.

So to answer your question, yes, every time something loses energy, it can emit photons. However, this process is more prominent in atoms and other particles, rather than in larger objects like humans.

Electrons do not necessarily need to have previously absorbed a photon in order to emit one. The energy levels of an atom are determined by its structure and the amount of energy required for an electron to move between levels. The negative values associated with energy levels are simply a convention used to represent the relative energy levels within an atom.

As for your question about the electron "freeing" itself from the atom, this is not exactly what happens. The electron simply returns to its ground state, which is a stable state within the atom. It is not necessary for the electron to reach the maximum energy level in order to return to its ground state.

I hope this helps clarify the process of absorption and emission of photons for you. Keep exploring and asking questions, as that is the foundation of scientific understanding.