[Physics] If electrons are unstable in a higher energy state, why do they attain those excited states

atomic-physicselectronsenergyorbitalsphotons

Electrons can absorb energy (discrete) to jump from lower energy states to higher. Once they reach higher energy states they become unstable and jump to their ground state by emitting photon (of specific energy).

But what is the reason for attaining the higher and unstable energy states by the electrons? Are there any specific factors for this event to take place? And can someone explain this stuff clearly?

Best Answer

For the same reason any physical system has more energy than its ground state: because some thing or other gave it the extra energy. It's hard to give a more concrete answer on something this general, though, because how the energy gets there will vary wildly depending on the situation.

Some common reasons:

  • The atom absorbs a photon of the relevant energy.
  • The atom is kicked into that excited state by a collision, say, with an electron in a discharge tube.
  • The atom is in a hot gas with temperature $T\gtrsim\Delta E/k_\mathrm B$, and it regularly acquires energy $\Delta E$ in collisions with other atoms in the gas.

There's plenty of other ways to arrange this, but either way you need an environment which is energetic enough, or a mechanism that is directly pumping energy into a specific transition.

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