What happens to an electron's frequency during absorption of a photon?

In summary, the conversation discusses the interaction between frequencies of electrons and photons during the process of absorption. However, according to quantum mechanics, there are no in-between states during this interaction and the concept of frequencies interacting does not exist. The absorption process involves the transition of a system from one state to another, with the presence of other particles being necessary for the process to occur.
  • #1
Iceking20
15
1
TL;DR Summary
How does electron frequency and photon frequency interact with each other when they collapse together?
The point that I want to know is how two frequencys react with each other and does electron's frequency wait to reach to higher frequency on that fraction of second when they(photo's frequency and electron's frequency)collapse to each other than go to higher energy level or what?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I have no clue what you mean by "frequencies" interacting. An electron and a photon can interact, but how can frequencies interact? Which frequencies are you talking about?
 
  • #3
Frequencies:Electrons have specific frequency in all energy level and also photons have frequency,so that what happen when these frequencies reach to each other?(in absorption)
 
  • #4
Iceking20 said:
Electrons have specific frequency in all energy level and also photons have frequency,so that what happen when these frequencies reach to each other?(in absorption)

Nothing like "frequencies reach to each other" happens during the process of an electron absorbing a photon. So you are asking about something that doesn't exist.
 
  • #5
The way quantum mechanics works, we start with a single quantum system whose state is "a photon, an electron, and some other stuff" at time ##t_1##. At some later time ##t_2## the state of the system is "an electron and more or less the same other stuff". We will say that "the photon was absorbed" but that's just a way of saying that the system was in one state before and is in another state now; there are no in-between states so no sensible way of talking about things that happen during the transition.

You may be wondering why there is "some other stuff" in the quantum state. That's because an isolated electron can neither absorb nor emit a photon (don't take my word for it! Try it! Calculate the energy and momentum of a system whose state is "a photon and an electron", then see if there can be any state "an electron" with the same energy and momentum; if not the absorbtion cannot happen because it would violate one or both of conservation of energy and momentum).
 
  • Like
Likes dlgoff

FAQ: What happens to an electron's frequency during absorption of a photon?

1. What is the relationship between an electron's frequency and the absorption of a photon?

When an electron absorbs a photon, its frequency increases. This is because the energy of the photon is transferred to the electron, causing it to vibrate at a higher frequency.

2. Does the electron's frequency change permanently after absorbing a photon?

No, the electron's frequency only changes temporarily while it is absorbing the photon. Once the energy from the photon is used up, the electron will return to its original frequency.

3. How does the absorption of a photon affect the electron's energy level?

When an electron absorbs a photon, it gains energy and moves to a higher energy level. This is known as an excited state. The electron will eventually return to its ground state by emitting a photon of the same frequency.

4. Can an electron absorb multiple photons at once?

Yes, an electron can absorb multiple photons at once if their combined energy is enough to move the electron to a higher energy level. This is known as multi-photon absorption.

5. What happens to the remaining energy of a photon that is not absorbed by an electron?

If an electron does not absorb a photon, the remaining energy of the photon is either reflected or transmitted. This depends on the properties of the material the photon is passing through.

Back
Top