Question

What do we mean when we say that energy levels are quantized in atoms?

Answer 1

Answer:

Electrons are located in specific orbit corresponding to discrete energy levels

Explanation:

In Bohr's model of the atom, electron orbit the nucleus in specific levels, each of them corresponding to a specific energy. The electrons cannot be located in the space between two levels: this means that only some values of energy are possible for the electrons, so the energy levels are quantized.

A confirmation of Bohr's model is found in the spectrum of emission of gases. In fact, when an electron jumps from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, it emits a photon whose energy is exactly equal to the difference in energy between the two levels: since the energy levels are discrete, this means that the emitted photons cannot have any value of wavelength, but also their wavelength will appear as a discrete spectrum. This is exactly what it is observed in the spectrum of emission of gases.