Electron relaxation

[MedPR]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Why is it more probable that a more excited electron will relax into ground state than a less excited electron?

Wouldn't the more excited electron relax into some higher-than-ground-state energy?

 

[chiddler]

When an e- is excited, keeping in mind that the energy levels are discrete, it is bumped to a higher state. I think the reason that it is more likely to return to ground than a lower bumped electron is because it releases more energy when returning to ground state than a lower electron.

Similar to a highly exothermic reaction being thermodynamically favorable.

 

[MedPR]

When an e- is excited, keeping in mind that the energy levels are discrete, it is bumped to a higher state. I think the reason that it is more likely to return to ground than a lower bumped electron is because it releases more energy when returning to ground state than a lower electron.

Similar to a highly exothermic reaction being thermodynamically favorable.

That's what I figured as I was typing out the op but I thought I would go ahead and do it anyway 🙂 I got confused on a question regarding this.

There was a chart that showed the energy of two different photons that were emitted by two different relaxing electrons. I figured the lower energy photon was more likely to occur since an electron is less likely to get excited to a very high state than a kind of high state.

For example I figured an electron was more likely to go from n=1 to n=2 (and emit a photon of a certain energy) that it was to go from n=1 to n=3 and emit a photon of even greater energy. The opposite is true though.