Question

An electron moved from shell n = 2 to shell n = 1. What most likely happened during the transition?

Answer 1

Answer:  A photon of energy was released.

Answer 2

Answer: A photon of energy was released.

Explanation: The energy of the orbitals keep on increasing as the size of the orbitals keep on increasing or the value of n keeps on increasing.

The electrons absorb energy when they are irradiated or put at high temperatures and move to higher energy states. The electrons then get back to their ground state by releasing energy in the form of radiations. Thus when an electron move from n = 2 to shell n = 1, the absorbed energy is given off in form of photons of energy.

Energy is released or absorbed in the form of discrete packets of energy called as photons.