An Atom of Hydrogen Undergoes a Collision with Another Atom

question 320

Multiple Choice

An atom of hydrogen undergoes a collision with another atom in a hot gas in which the energy of collision is about 11 eV.What is the likely outcome of this collision in terms of the atom? (See Figure 3-51,Comins,Discovering the Essential Universe,6th ed.)

• A) The electron in the atom will be excited to the second excited level, n = 3, and de-excitation will generate either an Lα UV Lyman photon or an Hα visible and an Lα UV photon.
• B) The electron in the atom will be excited to the first excited level, n = 2. Its return to the ground state will produce an Lα UV Lyman photon.
• C) The electron in the atom will be excited to the first excited level, and de-excitation to the ground state will produce a visible photon of Balmer Hα light.
• D) The electron of the hydrogen atom will be excited beyond the ionization level (n = ∞); the atom will be ionized, and the electron will leave the atom completely.

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