An excited atom emits a photon of a certain
frequency. Then two photons of this
frequency fly towards the atom.
Which of the following is likely to happen
next?
1. An atom will emit another photon of the
same frequency.
2. The atom will absorb one of the photons
and will return to its excited state.
3. One of the two photons will knock an
electron out leaving an ion behind.
4. The atom will absorb both photons and
will become more excited than it originally
To answer this question, we need to understand the basic principles of atomic emission and absorption.
When an atom is excited, it absorbs energy and its electrons move to a higher energy level. At some point, these electrons need to release the excess energy and return to their original energy level. This can happen through emission of photons.
Option 1: An atom will emit another photon of the same frequency.
This option is possible. If the excited atom receives additional energy from the two incoming photons, it may become more excited and emit another photon of the same frequency.
Option 2: The atom will absorb one of the photons and will return to its excited state.
This option is not likely to happen. Once an atom has emitted a photon and returned to its ground state, it typically requires external energy to be re-excited again. Simply absorbing a photon alone is unlikely to bring the atom back to an excited state.
Option 3: One of the two photons will knock an electron out, leaving an ion behind.
This option is not likely to happen either. For an electron to be knocked out of an atom, the photons would need to have extremely high energy (e.g., in the X-ray or gamma-ray range). The incoming photons, described in the question, are stated to have the same frequency as the emitted photon, suggesting they have lower energy.
Option 4: The atom will absorb both photons and become more excited than it originally was.
This option is possible. If the incoming photons carry enough energy to excite the atom beyond its original excited state, the atom may absorb both photons and become even more excited.
Based on the given information, options 1 and 4 seem most likely. However, the final outcome would depend on factors such as the energy of the incoming photons, the specific energy levels of the atom, and quantum mechanical probabilities.