DISCUSSION 1: NATURE OF LIGHT | PREPRARED BY: AKBGarcia

Nature of Light EMISSION OF LIGHT FROM HOT OBJECTS

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -When solids are heated, they emit radiation

-also known as radiant energy -The wavelength distribution of the radiation depends on
temperature
-All types of electromagnetic radiation move through a
vacuum at the speed of light (3.00 x 108 m/s) Blackbody - perfect absorber of radiation

EM radiation emitted and absorbed by a body depends on: -perfect emitter of radiation; radiation emitted by
a blackbody is called blackbody radiation
1. Temperature
A number of physicists studied this phenomenon, trying to
2. Characteristic of the body from which material it is
understand the relationship between the temperature and
made
the intensity and wavelength of the emitted radiation. The
WAVE NATURE OF LIGHT prevailing laws of physics could not account for the
observations
-pattern of peaks and troughs repeats itself at regular
intervals (periodic) -Max Planck solved the problem by assuming that energy
can be either released or absorbed by atoms only in
Wavelength - distance between two adjacent peaks (or discrete “chunks” of some minimum size (quantum).
troughs)
Quantum - “Fixed amount”

- Smallest quantity of energy that can be emitted or

absorbed as electromagnetic radiation

- Planck proposed that the energy of a single quantum

equals a constant times the frequency of the radiation:

Frequency - number of complete wavelengths, or cycles, Where h- Planck’s constant (6.626 x 10-34 J-s)
that passes a given point in each second
Matter can only emit and absorb energy in whole number
If the wavelength is long, fewer cycles of the wave pass a multiples (quantized).
given point per second, and so the frequency is low.
Conversely, for a wave to have a high frequency, it must EMISSION OF ELECTRONS FROM METAL SURFACES ON
have a short wavelength. WHICH LIGHT SHINES

- Hertz first succeeded in producing electromagnetic waves

from oscillating electrical circuits. He also observed that
Where c is the speed of light, λ is the wavelength, and ѵ is sparks were more readily induced between the poles in
the frequency the secondary (detector) circuit when they were
illuminated with ultra-violet radiation. He called this
QUANTIZED ENERGY AND PHOTONS (PARTICULATE phenomenon, for which he had no explanation, the
PROPERTY OF LIGHT) Photoelectric Effect.
-wave model of light cannot explain several phenomena -Albert Einstein used Planck’s theory to explain the
1. Emission of light from hot objects photoelectric effect

2. Emission of electrons from metal surfaces on - Einstein proposed that radiation is not only absorbed and
which light shines emitted in quanta but that it also propagates as such

3. Emission of light from electronically excited - A minimum frequency of light, different for different
atom metals, is required for the emission of electrons (Threshold
frequency)
 DISCUSSION 1: NATURE OF LIGHT | PREPRARED BY: AKBGarcia

- To explain the photoelectric effect, Einstein assumed that

the radiant energy striking the metal surface behaves like a
stream of tiny energy packets (photons)

- A certain amount of energy—called the work function —

is required for the electrons to overcome the attractive line spectrum- spectrum containing radiation of only
forces holding them in the metal. specific wavelengths; discrete
- A photon striking a metal surface surrenders all of its - When a high voltage is applied to tubes that
energy to a single electron in the metal. The electron first contain different gases under reduced pressure, the
uses this energy to break the bond holding it to the metal; gases emit different colors of light (example: Ne)
any surplus energy appears as the kinetic energy, KE
electron, of the liberated electron.

LINE SPECTRA OF HYDROGEN

- four lines at wavelengths of 410 nm (violet), 434 nm

Where W- Work function
(blue), 486 nm (blue-green), and 656 nm (red)- Balmer
The Photoelectric effect is an instantaneous phenomenon. Series
There is no time delay between the incidence of light and
emission of photoelectrons. If light propagates only as a
wave, the energy should spread uniformly on the metal
surface before it ejects an electron.
-can be calculated using the Rydberg equation:
LINE SPECTRA AND THE BOHR MODEL

- Niels Bohr offered a theoretical explanation of line

spectra

LINE SPECTRA Where λ- wavelength, RH= Rydberg constant (1.096776 x

Monochromatic- radiation composed of a single 107 m-1), n1 and n2- positive integer (n2>n1)
wavelength BOHR MODEL
Polychromatic- radiation containing many different - Bohr assumed that electrons in hydrogen atoms move in
wavelengths circular orbits around the nucleus
Most radiation sources are polychromatic. -Problem with this assumption: a charged particle (such as
Spectrum- any specific distribution of electromagnetic an electron) moving in a circular path should continuously
radiation lose energy. As an electron loses energy, it should spiral
into the positively charged nucleus.
Types:
-Bohr approached this problem by assuming that the
continuous spectrum- resulting spectrum consists of a prevailing laws of physics were inadequate to describe all
continuous range of colors aspects of atoms.

3 Postulates:

1. Only orbits of certain radii, corresponding to certain

specific energies, are permitted for the electron in a
hydrogen atom.
 DISCUSSION 1: NATURE OF LIGHT | PREPRARED BY: AKBGarcia

2. An electron in a permitted orbit is in an “allowed” Where λ- wavelength, m- mass (in kg), v- velocity (in m/s),
energy state. An electron in an allowed energy state does h- Planck’s constant
not radiate energy and, therefore, does not spiral into the
- mv for any object is called its momentum
nucleus.
References:
3. Energy is emitted or absorbed by the electron only as
the electron changes from one allowed energy state to Brown, T. L., et al. (2012). Chemistry: The central science.
another. This energy is emitted or absorbed as a photon USA: Pearson.
that has energy
Pfeffer, J. I., & Nir, S. (2000). Modern physics: An
ENERGY STATES OF HYDROGEN ATOM introductory text. London: Imperial College Press.

-Ground state- lowest energy state

-Excited state- higher-energy state

- When n = ∞

The state in which the electron is removed from the

nucleus is called the reference, or zero-energy, state of the
hydrogen atom.

LIMITATIONS OF THE BOHR MODEL

- It cannot explain the spectra of other atoms

-It cannot explain why negatively charged electron would

not just fall into the positively charged nucleus

2 important ideas from Bohr Model

1. Electrons exist only in certain discrete energy levels,

which are described by quantum numbers

2. Energy is involved in the transition of an electron from

one level to another

WAVE BEHAVIOR OF MATTER

-Louis de Broglie suggested that an electron moving about

the nucleus of an atom behaves like a wave and therefore
has a wavelength