Excited States and Photons (SAM)

Interactive, scaffolded model

Overview and Learning Objectives

Students explore models to discover that atoms can absorb photons but only if they have exactly the right frequency to match the difference between the energy levels.

For visible light, the color of a photon is related to its energy. Blue photons have the most energy, green photons have less energy, red photons have the least energy of all. Infrared and ultraviolet photons are invisible. Infrared photons don't have enough energy to stimulate your eye, ultraviolet photons have too much.

Students will learn that:

different atoms have different energy levels

when an atom jumps from one energy level to a lower one, it emits a photon of a particular frequency

the energy of the photon is equal to the difference between the atom's energy levels. For visible light, the color of a photon is related to its energy.

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Central Concepts

Key Concept:

Photons are little "wave packets" of light, and light is a form of energy. When an atom jumps from one energy level to a lower one, it emits a photon of a particular frequency. The energy of the photon is equal to the difference between the atom's energy levels.

Additional Related Concepts

Physics/Chemistry

• Energy
• Energy transfer
• Photon

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Extensions and Connections

Fermi Lab's ARISE Project suggests the following enhancement to this SAM unit:

http://www.concord.org/~barbara/SAM/ARISE/ARISE_SAM_photons.pdf

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Activity Credits

Created by CC Project: SAM using Molecular Workbench

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