Briefly explain the difference between these terms ground state and exited state and give an example
Ground state refers to the lowest energy state of an atom or molecule, while excited state refers to any state with higher energy than the ground state. For example, when an electron in a hydrogen atom absorbs energy, it moves from the ground state to an excited state, and when it returns to the ground state, it releases energy in the form of light.
The terms "ground state" and "excited state" are used in the context of electrons within an atom.
The ground state refers to the lowest energy level that an electron can occupy within an atom. In this state, the electron is in its most stable configuration, closest to the nucleus. It is usually denoted as the electron's "usual" or "normal" state.
On the other hand, the excited state refers to an energy level higher than the ground state that an electron can temporarily occupy when it absorbs energy. In this state, the electron moves to a higher energy level farther from the nucleus. The excited state is temporary, as the electron tends to quickly release the absorbed energy and return to its ground state.
To illustrate, let's consider the example of a hydrogen atom. In its ground state, the lone electron orbits the nucleus in the lowest energy level, called the 1s orbital. This is the electron's usual configuration. However, if the atom absorbs energy, such as through exposure to light, the electron may jump to a higher energy level, such as the 2s or 2p orbitals. In this excited state, the hydrogen atom is temporarily unstable. When the electron returns to the 1s orbital, it releases the absorbed energy as light of a specific wavelength, producing a spectral line characteristic of hydrogen.