Energy Levels: Why Do Spacings Get Smaller as Excitation Increases?

In summary: It makes sense, and it may help to understand why the spacing between energy levels gets smaller and smaller as the excitation energy increases.
  • #1
Martin89
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TL;DR Summary
Why does nuclear energy level spacing decrease as the nucleus gets more excited?
Nuclear energy levels.png


Hi All. For the above energy level diagram, why do the energy levels spacings proceed to get smaller and smaller as the excitation energy increases?
 
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  • #3
Gaussian97 said:
Have you ever read about Bohr model?
Yes, but I'm asking about nuclear energy levels not atomic energy levels
 
  • #4
Oh, sorry my fault, I didn't read correctly 😅 I apologise. Have you ever read about the nuclear shell model? It may be a good start point.
 
  • #5
Yeah I've been studying it this semester. I believe this particular diagram is for Nickel-64 which has a magic number of protons which explains why the spacing between the ground state and the first excited state is so large. The gaps in the higher levels are due to magic numbers also, but I don't know how to explain why the spacings get smaller?
 
  • #6
This may be a little clumsy. Consider the principle quantum number n. As it increases the other available quantum number as orbital angular momentum l increase along with its various projections m . These quantum numbers in the presence of relevant interactions along with the spin s lead to different energy states whose differences are smaller (closer) because these interactions are relatively weak.
 
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  • #7
The levels are at equal intervals in a harmonic oscillator.
If in a nucleus, excited levels are at decreasing intervals, this suggests that the excited levels reach potential tails of some sort.
 
  • #8
gleem said:
This may be a little clumsy. Consider the principle quantum number n. As it increases the other available quantum number as orbital angular momentum l increase along with its various projections m . These quantum numbers in the presence of relevant interactions along with the spin s lead to different energy states whose differences are smaller (closer) because these interactions are relatively weak.

Thanks for the reply, I guess that makes some sense
 

1. What are energy levels?

Energy levels refer to the specific amounts of energy that an atom or molecule can possess. These energy levels are quantized, meaning they can only exist at certain discrete values and cannot exist between these values.

2. Why do energy levels get smaller as excitation increases?

As an atom or molecule is excited, meaning it absorbs energy and moves to a higher energy level, the spacing between energy levels decreases. This is because the energy levels are determined by the distance between the nucleus and the electron, and as the electron moves further away from the nucleus, the distance decreases, resulting in smaller energy level spacings.

3. How does the spacing of energy levels affect the properties of atoms and molecules?

The spacing of energy levels plays a crucial role in determining the properties of atoms and molecules. It affects the absorption and emission of light, as well as the chemical reactivity and stability of the atom or molecule.

4. Can energy levels be observed directly?

No, energy levels cannot be observed directly. They are theoretical concepts that are used to explain the behavior and properties of atoms and molecules. However, their effects can be observed through experiments and spectroscopy.

5. Do all atoms and molecules have the same energy level spacing?

No, the energy level spacing varies depending on the type of atom or molecule. The number of electrons, their arrangement, and the strength of the forces between the nucleus and electrons all contribute to the differences in energy level spacing.

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