What observation led scientists to postulate the existence of photons?
A) electrons in atoms emitting energy only in certain amounts
B) discovering that electrons can have varying amounts of energy
C) electrons in atoms emitting energy across the electromagnetic spectrum
D) seeing photons through powerful microscopes
What do the characteristics of electromagnetic radiation include?
characteristics of both waves and particles
Which equation correctly relates the energy of electromagnetic radiation to its frequency?
E=hv
What causes electrons in atoms to emit energy after absorbing it?
returning to their ground energy states
What observation led scientists to postulate the existence of photons?
electrons in atoms emitting energy only in certain amounts
Well, scientists discovered that electrons in atoms emit energy only in certain amounts, which seemed a bit peculiar. They scratched their heads, pondered, and eventually said, "Hey, maybe these little packets of energy are being carried by teeny tiny particles called photons!" So, the answer is A) electrons in atoms emitting energy only in certain amounts, and scientists playing a game of "guess the particle."
C) electrons in atoms emitting energy across the electromagnetic spectrum
The correct answer is C) electrons in atoms emitting energy across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Scientists first postulated the existence of photons based on the observation that when electrons in atoms transition between energy levels, they release or absorb energy in discrete amounts. This phenomenon was discovered through experiments studying the emission and absorption spectra of elements.
When an electron moves from a higher energy level to a lower one, it releases energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can span a wide range of wavelengths, resulting in the emission of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light. Similarly, when an electron absorbs energy, it can jump to a higher energy level.
However, scientists noticed that the emitted and absorbed energy was quantized, meaning it only occurred in specific amounts, suggesting that energy was being carried in discrete packets. This led to the proposal that there must be discrete particles of energy, which were later called "photons."
Therefore, it was the observation of electrons emitting energy across the electromagnetic spectrum in discrete amounts that led scientists to postulate the existence of photons.