How long does this take?

1 ⤊

How long does this take?

I want to know how long it takes for an electron to absorb a photon, jump to a higher orbit, and then return to its lower orbit while emitting its photon. Is it known how long this process takes? Maybe a nanosecond or is that just too long?

2006-12-16 22:56:06 · 2 answers · asked by Bender[OO] 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics

2 answers

Absorption is instant. When it returns is a purely statistical thing. It's all chance. It could happen in a time too short to measure or it could take minutes or days. It's all a roll of the quantum dice.

2006-12-16 22:58:40 · answer #1 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋

Simply asking a question to show off!

2006-12-17 07:00:23 · answer #2 · answered by chandrasanyal 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋