Electron Energy and Light

How does light reveal the behavior of electrons in an atom?

Why?
From reworks to stars, the color of light is useful in nding out whats in matter. The emission of light by hydrogen and other atoms has played a key role in understanding the electronic structure of atoms. Trace materials, such as evidence from a crime scene, lead in paint or mercury in drinking water, can be identied by heating or burning the materials and examining the color(s) of light given off in the form of bright-line spectra.

Model 1 White Light

Lightbulb (white light) Prism

Color Reds Oranges Yellows Greens Blues Violets

Photon Energy Wavelength Speed ( 1021) (J) Range (nm) (m/s) 269318 625740 3.00 108 318337 590625 3.00 108 337352 565590 3.00 108 352382 520565 3.00 108 382452 440520 3.00 108 452523 380440 3.00 108

1. Trace the arrows in Model 1 and shade in the table with colored pencils where appropriate. 2. What happens to white light when it passes through a prism? 3. Why are the color labels in the table in Model 1 plural (i.e., Reds rather than Red)? 4. Do all colors of light travel at the same speed? 5. Do all colors of light have the same energy? If no, which colors have the highest energy and the least energy, respectively? 6. Consider the light illustrated in Model 1. a. Which color corresponds to the longest wavelengths? b. Which color corresponds to the shortest wavelengths? c. Write a sentence that describes the relationship between wavelength and energy of light.

Electron Energy and Light

2012, Flinn Scientific, Inc., and HSPIThe POGIl Project. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced for one-time use with permission from Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, Illinois, U.S.A. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.

Model 2 Emission Spectra for Hydrogen and Boron Atoms

Hydrogen
Slits

Prism

BlueViolet violet

Bluegreen

Red

410 434

486

656 Orange 609 625 Red

Hydrogen gas discharge tube

Violet

412 420 424

448

Blue

Boron

494 499

Blue Blue-green

Wavelength (nm)

Wavelength (nm)

7. Use colored pencils to color the hydrogen and boron spectral lines within their respective spectra in Model 2. 8. List the spectral lines for hydrogen gas by color and corresponding wavelength. 9. The spectral lines for boron were produced using the same method as hydrogen. List three of the colors and corresponding wavelengths for borons spectral lines as its light passes through a prism.

10. Consider the hydrogen spectrum in Model 2. a. Which color of light corresponds to the shortest wavelength? b. Which color of light corresponds to the longest wavelength?

2 POGIL Activities for High School Chemistry

2012, Flinn Scientific, Inc. and HSPIThe POGIL Project. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced for one-time use with permission from Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, Illinois, U.S.A. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.

11. Consider the hydrogen spectrum in Model 2. a. Which color of light has the most energy? b. Which color of light has the least energy? 12. Does a gas discharge tube lled with boron emit the same wavelengths of light as a tube lled with hydrogen? Use evidence from Model 2 to support your answer.

13. The spectral lines for atoms are like ngerprints for humans. How do the spectral lines for hydrogen and boron support this statement? Circle the appropriate word to complete each statement in Questions 1417. 14. Electrons and protons (attract/repel) each other. 15. As an electron gets closer to the nucleus the (attraction/repulsion) to the nucleus gets (stronger/ weaker). 16. For an electron to move from an energy level close to the nucleus to an energy level far from the nucleus it would need to (gain/lose) energy. 17. For an electron to move from an energy level far from the nucleus to an energy level close to the nucleus it would need to (gain/lose) energy.

Read This!
Niels Bohr modied Rutherfords Nuclear Atom model to explain how light interacted with the electrons in an atom to produce spectral lines. His model included electrons orbiting the nucleus at specic energy levels. Electrons absorb energy from various sources (electricity) when they move from lower energy levels (ground state) to higher energy levels (excited states). Energy is released as electrons return to their lower energy levels. 18. Is energy absorbed or released for the electron transition shown in the diagram to the right? Explain.
n=65 4 3 2 1

Electron Energy and Light

2012, Flinn Scientific, Inc. and HSPIThe POGIL Project. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced for one-time use with permission from Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, Illinois, U.S.A. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.

Model 3 Bohr Model of a Hydrogen Atom

A._________________ B._________________

n=65 4

n=65 4

C._________________

D._________________

n=65 4

n=65 4

19. Identify the drawing in Model 3 that depicts a hydrogen atom with an electron moving from energy level 5 to energy level 2. Refer to Models 1 and 2 for the following questions. a. Label the picture with n=5 to n=2 and list the corresponding color of light emitted. b. This electron transition (absorbs/releases) energy. c. This electron moves from a (lower/higher) energy state to a (lower/higher) energy state. d. Is light absorbed or released in the electron transition?

4 POGIL Activities for High School Chemistry

2012, Flinn Scientific, Inc. and HSPIThe POGIL Project. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced for one-time use with permission from Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, Illinois, U.S.A. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.

20. Label the remaining drawings in Model 3 with the electron transitions that are occurring (n=? to n=?), the wavelengths and corresponding colors as given in example A in Model 3. See Model 2 in order to identify the color of spectral lines produced in each of the hydrogen atom electron transitions shown in Model 3. Use colored pencils to trace the light wave in each of the four pictures with the appropriate color. 21. Consider the electron transitions in Model 3. a. Which of the electron transitions involves the most energy? b. Explain why this transition involves the most energy based on your understanding of the attractive forces between the electrons and protons in the atom.

22. Explain why a single atom of hydrogen cannot produce all four hydrogen spectral lines simultaneously.

23. If Question 22 is true, how can we see all four colors from a hydrogen gas discharge tube simultaneously?

Electron Energy and Light

2012, Flinn Scientific, Inc. and HSPIThe POGIL Project. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced for one-time use with permission from Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, Illinois, U.S.A. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.

Extension Questions
24. The hydrogen spectral lines in Model 2 are only the wavelengths of light that are in the visible range and therefore seen by the naked eye. However, many other wavelengths can be detected with special equipment. a. Propose a hydrogen electron transition that involves light with a wavelength in the ultraviolet (UV) range (10400 nm).

b. Propose a hydrogen electron transition that involves light with a wavelength in the infrared (IR) range (1000106 nm).

25. Below are diagrams for the bright line spectra of four elements and the spectrum of a mixture of unknown gases.
Li H He Na Unknown

a. Which element(s) are not present in the Unknown? b. Which element(s) are in the Unknown? 26. Model 2 shows the emission spectra for hydrogen and boron. Scientists can also record the absorption spectra for elements. Propose how this might be done, and what the absorption spectra of hydrogen and boron would look like.

6 POGIL Activities for High School Chemistry

2012, Flinn Scientific, Inc. and HSPIThe POGIL Project. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced for one-time use with permission from Flinn Scientific, Inc. Batavia, Illinois, U.S.A. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.