Does Higher Energy in a Hydrogen Atom Affect the Frequency of Emitted Light?

[accountkiller]

Homework Statement

For a hydrogen atom, if the energy of a state (excited or ground) is higher then the frequency of the light emitted when the atom decays is:
Higher, independent of the excited state, lower, or not enough information

Homework Equations

E = hf = hcR(1/(n₁² - n₂²))

The Attempt at a Solution

I'm a bit confused on what this means: "If the energy of a state is higher (excited or ground)." It's saying that it decays, so if it was at ground level, what would happen with decay there since it can't go to any lower energy levels?

Also, "frequency of the light emitted" is higher/lower/etc. than what? It's the wording that's got me a little confused here.

I know the answer is not enough information because the electron could decay a short distance or a long distance when it drops down energy levels, hence the photon energy being equal to that difference, depends on the distance. But what is it asking about the frequency?

Thanks!

 

[mark726]

Hi there! It looks like you're on the right track, but let me clarify a few things for you. First, when it says "If the energy of a state is higher (excited or ground)," it means that the atom is in either the excited state or the ground state, and the energy of that state is higher than the other. For example, if the atom is in the excited state, its energy is higher than the ground state.

Next, when it says "frequency of the light emitted," it is referring to the frequency of the photon that is emitted when the atom decays. This frequency is related to the energy difference between the two states, as shown in the equation you provided.

So, to answer the question, the frequency of the light emitted when the atom decays will depend on the energy difference between the two states, not just the energy of the state itself. Therefore, we do not have enough information to determine the frequency without knowing the specific energy levels of the excited and ground states.

I hope that helps clarify things for you! Let me know if you have any other questions.