orbital shells and energy levels

[Tom Del Rosso]

High school and undergrad physics teaches that electrons change energy
levels when they emit or absorb a photon.

They also cover orbital shells (moreso in chem than physics).

But they never draw a connection at that level of study.

So is there a connection? Are orbital energy levels related to shells?

I don't expect the answer is that an electron would jump to an outer shell
and leave an inner one less than full. But still, it seems likely there is
a relationship between these things that is not covered in the 101-102
courses.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Have you Googled?

I've googled enough questions to know that isn't always the best way to find
an answer.

As far as I know they are, indeed, connected -- all of the orbitals
are available for an electron to go into even in a hydrogen atom, but
the S1 orbital is the lowest-energy one, so that's where an unexcited
electron goes. Presumably an excited electron goes to another
orbital, until it can emit a photon.

It's all complicated by the fact that the orbital size and energy
changes under the electrostatic influence of the nucleus and the
surrounding electrons.

And -- that's about where my already-foggy knowledge just peters out.

Bonding just got even more complicated.

Thanks!

 

[glen herrmannsfeldt]

High school and undergrad physics teaches that electrons change energy
levels when they emit or absorb a photon.

They also cover orbital shells (moreso in chem than physics).

They also cover orbital shells (moreso in chem than physics).

But they never draw a connection at that level of study.

So is there a connection? Are orbital energy levels related
to shells?

At some point, quantum mechanics doesn't allow for answers to
questions like that. The photon energy comes from the change
in electron energy.

If you are asking about s, p, d, f, orbitals, those are different
angular momentum states, and the complications of the energy relate
to the interaction between electrons. You are allowed to ask about
that, though the answers aren't so easy.

I don't expect the answer is that an electron would jump to
an outer shell and leave an inner one less than full.

It will when it absorbs a photon, or otherwise gets more energy.

One interesting process is the Auger effect. If you knock out
an inner shell electron, usually K shell. Another falls into
its place, but instead of emitting a photon it instead knocks
another electron out. The energy of that electron is related to
the three levels involved, and has a fairly well defined energy.
(That is, narrow line width.)

But still, it seems likely there is a relationship between these
things that is not covered in the 101-102 courses.

-- glen

 

[Jos Bergervoet]

High school and undergrad physics teaches that electrons change energy
levels when they emit or absorb a photon.

They also cover orbital shells (moreso in chem than physics).

But they never draw a connection at that level of study.

So is there a connection? Are orbital energy levels related to shells?

I think you are wrong. High school physics teaches that
the lower shells are the first to be filled. "Lowest" then
means lowest in energy. So energy levels are actually mentioned.

I don't expect the answer is that an electron would jump to an outer shell
and leave an inner one less than full.

Why not? If it absorbs a photon (as in your first sentence)
they could nicely jump to an outer shell (or completely out
of the atom!)

But still, it seems likely there is
a relationship between these things that is not covered in the 101-102
courses.

It is likely indeed that not everything is covered in there..

 

[Jamie]

Well the orbital part, like planetary orbits, is only an analogy. For
the one case that we can solve exactly (one proton and one electron.)
the solution is in terms of spherical harmonics (SH). And rather than
an electron going around in an orbit, I picture it smeared out with a
probability distribution given by the particular SH.

But apart from that your picture is fine. Transitions between states
are accompanied by the absorption or emission of a photon. Thanks to
Phil H. I’ve just been reading about this. Google (Fermi quantum
theory of radiation) and you should find a link to his 1932 reviews of
modern physics paper at colorado.edu.

Sounds very close to what was taught to me in school almost 40 years
ago now, on this very same subject. I must of had some good lab
instructors