BRAINCAKEFluorescence
Atoms that absorb u.v. light and become excited are able to emit visible light when they de-excite.
This is because an atom in the excited state can de-excite directly or indirectly to the ground state.
The atoms emit photons of less energy by de-excitation in stages.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Photon
- A discrete packet, or quantum, of electromagnetic energy.
- Ground state
- The lowest energy state of an atom, in which its electrons occupy the lowest available energy levels.
- De-excitation
- The process by which an electron in an excited atom falls to a lower energy level, emitting a photon whose energy equals the difference between the two levels.
More in The Photoelectric Effect
- Energy of Electrons
- Electron Excitation by Collisions
- Excitation Using Photons
- De-excitation
- Fluorescent Tube
- Line Spectra
- Excitation of Hydrogen Atoms
- The Discovery of Helium
All 19 lessons in The Photoelectric Effect · All AQA AS-level Physics topics