What Happens to an Electron When Excited by Light at the Excitation

Question

What happens to an electron when excited by light at the excitation wavelength?
A) It remains in the same orbital.
B) It moves to a lower energy orbital.
C) It moves to a higher energy orbital.
D) It emits a photon.
E) It is filtered.

Accepted Answer

When an electron is excited by light at the excitation wavelength, it moves to a higher energy orbital. This higher energy state is typically short-lived, and the electron will eventually return to its original ground state through an emission of light at a longer wavelength (fluorescence) or by releasing the excess energy as heat.