- #1
rogerk8
- 288
- 1
Hi!
I wonder what makes light when it comes to excited and/or ionized atoms.
I have tried to study this phenomena both by looking up ionization and recombination on Wikipedia but the answer is missing.
Let's say that an atom is hit by a high energetic particle.
Two things, I believe, then might happen:
1) The outer electron escapes from the atom and the atom is thus ionized.
2) The outer electron is pushed into one of perhaps several outer shells but still resides in the atom and is thus excited.
Now,
In the case of 1)
The only reason for emitting light is if the state of energy is higher before it finally recombines with an electron.
In the case of 2)
Emission of light is made when the atom simply falls back to its original and lower energy state.
But all talk about ionizations making light makes me confused.
Which is true and how can an ionized (excited is ok due to "mgh") atom have a higher energy than a neutral one?
Much obliged for an answer on this one.
Roger
I wonder what makes light when it comes to excited and/or ionized atoms.
I have tried to study this phenomena both by looking up ionization and recombination on Wikipedia but the answer is missing.
Let's say that an atom is hit by a high energetic particle.
Two things, I believe, then might happen:
1) The outer electron escapes from the atom and the atom is thus ionized.
2) The outer electron is pushed into one of perhaps several outer shells but still resides in the atom and is thus excited.
Now,
In the case of 1)
The only reason for emitting light is if the state of energy is higher before it finally recombines with an electron.
In the case of 2)
Emission of light is made when the atom simply falls back to its original and lower energy state.
But all talk about ionizations making light makes me confused.
Which is true and how can an ionized (excited is ok due to "mgh") atom have a higher energy than a neutral one?
Much obliged for an answer on this one.
Roger