Atoms Absorbing Light & Emitting Photons: The Gas Experiment

[radaballer]

If a gas is bombarded with light will the atoms absorb the light and emit photons of an equal energy level?

 

[mathman]

If a gas is bombarded with light will the atoms absorb the light and emit photons of an equal energy level?

It is more complicated and depends on the constituents of the gas. Typically when a photon is absorbed an atom or molecule will go to a higher energy state. What happens next depends on the material and the photon wavelength.

 

[ChrisVer]

They don't have to emit photons of an equal energy level... I'm talking about photon absorption...
For a rough example, suppose you have three energy levels... $E_{3} > E_{2} >E_{1}$... if the absorbed photon has energy $E= |E_{3}- E_{1}|$, then you can have the production of 2 photons of energy $\epsilon_{a}=|E_{3}- E_{2}|$ and $\epsilon_{b}=|E_{2}-E_{1}|$...

 

[radaballer]

It is more complicated and depends on the constituents of the gas. Typically when a photon is absorbed an atom or molecule will go to a higher energy state. What happens next depends on the material and the photon wavelength.

Is there any particular way to determine the constituency of gas as it relates to the release of photons

 

[mathman]

Is there any particular way to determine the constituency of gas as it relates to the release of photons

Yes. The spectrum of the emitted radiation. Each atomic species has its own spectrum. This is how we know what stars are made of, among other things.