Atomic Absorption of Electrons: Mercury

[AATroop]

Homework Statement

My class is currently going over electronic energy levels, and the book states that an electron with a kinetic energy of 9.8eV could excited two mercury atoms (first excited state above the ground state of mercury is 4.9) to their first state above the ground state.

However, I was wondering if the electron could also raise a single mercury atom at least two energy levels above the ground state, because the energy required to reach the third state (two states above ground state) must be less than 4.9?
Is this possible, or am I missing something?

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[Spinnor]

I like this explanation here,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franck–Hertz_experiment

A partial energy level diagram for mercury is here,

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&h...w=137&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:84