Erwin Schrodinger designed the wave equation that utilized the two properties exhibited by an electron. These properties suggest that electrons exist both as a wave and a particle. Schrodinger’s work led to what is referred to as wave mechanics or quantum mechanics. In His work, Schrödinger treated an electron as a standing wave. The wave function) serves to show the probability distribution.
Electromagnetic Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy which results from the interaction of magnetic fields and oscillating electric fields. This type of energy (photons) is released when the electric and magnetic fields meets at right angles. A photon is a packet of light energy and travels at a speed of light (2.998x10 8 m/s) as quantized harmonic waves. This energy is classified into various categories depending on its wavelength to form what is referred to as electromagnetic spectrum. Electromagnetic radiations have universal properties. Travelling with the same speed as that of light which is 2.998 x 108 ms-1 is one property of these electromagnetic radiations. These waves can also travel in a vacuum; they don't require a material medium for transmission. Electromagnetic radiations with longer wavelengths such as radio waves carry lower energy than emissions with shorter wavelengths (Patel, Vo, " Hernandez, 2015).
Electromagnetic radiations with short wavelengths such as ϒ rays and X- rays carries high amount of energy and might be harmful to human health if not carefully handled unlike radio waves which are not hazardous. The other types of electromagnetic radiations include infrared, microwaves, and ultraviolet rays (Patel, Vo, " Hernandez, 2015). Electromagnetic emissions with shorter wavelengths have higher frequencies than those with long wavelengths. The frequency of an electromagnetic radiation is directly proportional to the energy it carries. The equation which shows the relationship between frequency and energy is E=hυ
How ground state and excited state of electrons differ
There is no specific place where the electrons are located within an atom. However, there are places around the core of an atom where an electron has a higher possibility of being discovered. There is discrete amount of energy associated with every energy level of an atom. Those energy levels which are near the nuclear are said to have lower amount of energy. As the distance between the nucleus and the energy level increases the energy associated also increases. Ground state is used to refer to the atom when the electrons are in the energy level which is closest to the nucleus.
When an atom is given a certain amount of energy, it shifts to excited state due to transfer electrons from lower to higher energy level, and the particle is said to be excited. The main difference between the two states is that in ground state, the electrons have lower amount of energy unlike in the excited state. Different materials have different amount of energy required to excite the atom. Photoelectric effect can play a vital role in helping one to understand excited states. For instance, when light of sufficient energy is illuminated on a metal surface, the atoms get excited. If the energy of radiation exceeds the work function, the excess energy is converted to kinetic energy and the electrons are dislodged from the metal surface.
Quantum numbers
The mathematical equation obtained by solving the Schrödinger's equation is referred to as the wave function, and it describes the position where chances of finding an electron are high. Each electron of an atom has a wave function called atomic orbital (Theodore et al.2015). When an electron changes its wave pattern, there is an energy change which accompanies the change. Energy can either be emitted or absorbed. There are four sets of numbers which describes the position of an electron in an atom, i.e., quantum numbers. Principal quantum number (n=1, 2, 3…) represents the space occupied by an orbital (Yamaguchi, 2005). . As n increases, the orbital size increases. The other one is the angular quantum number (l), and it gives information about the shape of an orbital. The shells are farther divided into other smaller groups called sublevels or subshells. Subshells are usually represented with letters s, p, d, f and corresponds to 0, 1, 2, and 3. For example, a subshell whose n= 3 and the l= 1, then it is 3p subshell. If n=3 and l=0, it is 3s subshell. Magnetic quantum numbers ml = -l…..0…..l
is used to show the orientation of an orbital in space. This number designates a subshell into a particular orbital where electrons are found. Lastly, spin quantum number (ms) shows the orientation of the spin axis; ms = +½ or -½.
The electron configuration of atoms
The electron configuration of an atom shows how the electrons are distributed in their respective shells and subshells. Usually, the electron configuration describes the orbital of an atom in its ground state. Hund’s rule states that an electron singly occupies every orbital in a certain energy level before coupling of electrons in a half-filled orbital (Yamaguchi, 2005). Valence electrons are usually found in the outermost energy level, and they play an essential role in chemical bonding. They also show the unique properties of an atom.
References
Patel, N., Vo, K., " Hernandez, M. (2015). Electromagnetic Radiation. Chemistry LibreTexts. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Spectroscopy/Fundamentals_of_Spectroscopy/Electromagnetic_Radiation
Theodore E. et al.(2015). Chemistry: The Central Science, 13th Edition: Pearson, New York:NY
Yamaguchi, Y. (2005). Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theories in the Quantized Space. II: -- Quantum Mechanics --. Progress Of Theoretical Physics, 113(4), 883-909. http://dx.doi.org/10.1143/ptp.113.883
