Question on energy?

Question

what is the difference between energy absorbed and released in term of electrons?(i mean when a photon hits an electron how to know if energy is absorbed or released)
Please explain the entire processe clearly?

Answer 1

Hi. A photon can make an electron "jump" to a higher energy level. It releases the energy level as it jumps back down. This is why the atom gives off and receives energy of a particular frequency. The jump from one orbit to another always gives or absorbs the same amount.

Answer 2

When an electron absorbs a photon it jumps into a higher energy orbital, and usually into a higher vibrational level within that higher orbital. The electron will cascade down these vibrational levels quite quickly, releasing heat, and sit for a time at the lowest vibrational level of the higher orbital. Now - how long the electron stays there before it drops back down to the lower orbital will depend on whether a magnetic spin flip is required to make the drop. If no spin flip is needed, then the electron drops back down to the lower energy level more or less instantaneously, releasing light - known as FLUORESCENCE (example - the shiny shirts and teeth you see in blacklight nightclubs - the reason that UV light is absorbed but visible light is emitted is because the higher energy UV light knocked us up a few vibrational levels as well as a higher energy orbital - since the visible light is lower energy (E=hv), the total energy is UV = VIB + VIS).

If a spin flip is needed then the electrons slowly bleed down to the lower orbinal as the electrons flip their spins, resulting in a longer lasting but fainter emission of light called PHOSPHORESCENCE (example, glow in the dark toys and watches)