Question

Calculate the energy released by a helium atom to produce the yellow band.

A) Using the energy-mass equivalence equation, E=mc².
B) By considering the energy levels of helium electrons.
C) By knowing the wavelength of the yellow band and Planck's constant.
D) Through the use of nuclear binding energy.

Answer 1

The energy released by a helium atom to produce the yellow band is best calculated using the wavelength of the light and Planck's constant (Method C) with the equation E = hc/λ.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the energy released by a helium atom to produce the yellow band, method C is the most direct and applicable approach. Method C involves knowing the wavelength of the yellow band and Planck's constant.

The energy (E) emitted or absorbed when an electron transitions between energy levels in an atom can be found using the equation E = hc/λ, where h is Planck's constant (6.626 x 10⁻³⁴ J·s), c is the speed of light (3 x 10⁸ m/s), and λ is the wavelength of the light.

If the wavelength of the yellow band is given as 589 nm (589 x 10⁻⁹ m), the energy can be found by plugging the values into the equation and calculating the result in joules (J).