Question

1. if an electron moves from a lower energy level to a higher one, what must happen to the energy?

the electron’s energy is continuously distributed.
the electron must gain energy.
the electron must emit a photon.
the electron’s energy remains the same.
clear all

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• "The electron’s energy is continuously distributed": Electron energy levels are quantized, not continuous, so this is incorrect.
• "The electron must gain energy": Moving from a lower to a higher energy level requires an input of energy (e.g., absorbing a photon), so this is correct.
• "The electron must emit a photon": Emitting a photon occurs when an electron moves to a lower energy level, so this is incorrect.
• "The electron’s energy remains the same": Moving to a higher level means a change (increase) in energy, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

The electron must gain energy.