Question

revisit investigative phenomenon go online to elaborate on and evaluate your knowledge of the quantum mechanical model by completing the class discussion and activities. in the modeling worksheet you completed at the beginning of the investigation, you sketched a model to help explain the color generation of different fireworks. with a partner, evaluate your models. 27 sep revise an explanation rather than saying the electrons transition between energy levels to produce the colors in fireworks, how might you refine this description using your new knowledge of the quantum mechanical model? what does this information suggest about the energies of the orbitals?

Explanation:

In quantum mechanics, electrons in atoms can occupy only certain discrete energy levels. When an electron transitions from a higher - energy level to a lower - energy level, it emits a photon of light with an energy equal to the energy difference between the two levels. Different energy differences correspond to different wavelengths (colors) of light. In fireworks, chemical reactions provide the energy to excite electrons. Using quantum mechanical knowledge, we can say that the colors are due to specific, quantized energy transitions of electrons in the atoms of the elements used in the fireworks. This implies that the orbitals have specific, quantized energies, and electrons can only exist in these well - defined energy states.

Answer:

Rather than a simple statement of electron transitions, we can say that in fireworks, specific elements have electrons that undergo quantized energy transitions between well - defined atomic orbitals. These transitions result in the emission of photons with specific energies (and thus colors). This information suggests that atomic orbitals have discrete, quantized energies, and electrons can only occupy these particular energy levels.